


Savior

by slyph_silver



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Anxiety, Child Abuse, Depression, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Graphic Violence, Language, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post Traumatic Stress, Romance, Self Harm, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:30:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 82,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slyph_silver/pseuds/slyph_silver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The monsters have been on the surface for a year now, but haven't made much progress in earning a place among the humans. Silvyne comes across some monsters in a dangerous situation, and decides to help out. Where will this one event lead her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Intense First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Monsters are much taller than humans in this story. So even characters that are short are still taller than most humans. Reader is not Frisk. Frisk is a child, a little girl. Reader reads from an original female character perspective. There is violence and language. This story will address a few touchy topics and there will eventually be smut, so forewarning. Feedback is welcome and appreciated. Hope you enjoy :3

It was a normal night like any other. I was having my nightly run before I settled in the for the night. The sun had already set, and there was a slight chill to the air. I ran the outskirts of the small town I lived in.

My breathing came in even, deep breaths and I could feel my heart beat pounding through me. My music blared in my ears, adding fuel to my energy as I ran.

As I came the end of a side street, I slowed and came to a stop. I leaned against the wall of the building at the side of the road, pulling my headphones out of my ears, letting them hang from around my neck. Leaning back against the wall, I looked up at the night sky, letting my breathing even out and my pounding heart calm.

I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my black sweats, pausing my music and tucking my headphones into the front of my black tank. I scuffed the ground with my boots as my body finally began to relax.

I always hated my run at the beginning- of all my exercises, running was my least favorite- but I always loved how strong I felt afterwards. As my body relaxed, I closed my eyes, enjoying the peaceful stillness.

That peacefullness was quickly broken by a strangled cry. My eyes snapped open, and I felt adrenaline rush through my veins, making me instantly alert. I stood straight. That had sounded like a child. And a child in pain non the less. I looked to my right, where I had heard the sound and quickly made my way down the street.

I heard the sounds of scuffling from the alley ahead of me and rushed forward. I paused in shock at what I saw. There was a group of men, six of them, blocking off the entrance of the alley. Who they were facing shocked me. It was a group of monsters. Two skeletons and a yellow reptilian looking monster.

One of the men had shoved a small child against the wooden building to the left, and was holding them up by their throat. The small child struggled. It only took me a few seconds to fully grasp the situation.

The yellow monster was trembling in fear, the taller skeleton seemed to be trying to reason with the men and the shorter was just staring at the men with a very dangerous expression, his sockets frighteningly black.

Every man in the alley had a weapon of some kind, one had a bat, one a crowbar, two had knives and one had a very long pole. I quickly assessed the situation. The monsters were obviously being terrorized by these men. I knew a few of them, and it didn't surprise me that they'd resort to violence against them.

And I realized another fact. The monsters couldn't fight back. If they did, the retaliation they would get for harming a human would be catastrophic. Possibly war starting catastrophic. The men knew this, that was the only reason they would initiate a fight. They were cowards, and would never confront an enemy they weren't sure they could beat.

I didn't even have to stop to decide what I was going to do next.

"Hey!" I shouted at the men. They turned, noticing me for the first time. "Put that child down!" I yelled at them.

The man holding the child-Nick I believed his name was- turned and his condescending gaze met mine.

"You best scurry on your way, little missy," he sneered at me. "Mind your own damn business and scat before you get yourself hurt."

"You heard me. Let. The kid. Go." I pronunciated each word carefully, trying to fully convey how serious this was. There was no way I was going to let them hurt these people. I'd do whatever I had to. And they did not want to test me.

Nick only laughed, not seeming to fully see how furious I was. He tossed the kid to the side and the taller skeleton leaped forward to catch them. I heard the child whimper and the skeleton wrapped them in a tight, protective embrace, backing away from the men.

Nick sauntered over to me, not even paying attention to the monsters at the moment. He stood in front of me for a moment, staring at me, considering, before he reached out and shoved me. I felt my back hit the brick wall beside me, my breath knocked out of me. The man was quickly in front of me, and I felt a knife press against my throat, felt the slight sting as it pierced my skin. I felt a drop of blood slide down to my collar bone.

The man's face was almost pressed against mine, his putrid breath washing over me, making me nauseous.

"You do not want to test us, little missy," he growled. "You had best move on and forget you saw anything."

I scoffed at him. He didn't scare me and I made this known. "What, are you trying to be intimidating? Because it's not working." I saw his face twist angrily.

"Fine," was all he said before a hand grabbed my shoulder and I was shoved into the group of men behind me. Two of them grabbed my arms and forced me against the wooden wall of the barn.

"Stop, please!" I heard one of the monsters speak, the voice tentative but surprisingly strong as they pleaded. The man only laughed and waved his knife at me.

"We'll deal with you later, little missy," he said, with a twisted smile, eyeing me openly and lewdly. I felt anger built in my core as my stomach twisted with nausea at the thoughts I knew were running through his head. "First, we have to take care of some trash." And he turned back to the monsters.

"What exactly do you think to accomplish here?" I asked quietly. "I will not hesitate to call Sheriff Hughes and report you."

"HA! That idiot? Please," he scoffed at me. "Besides, who's gonna punish us for taking care of some trash, and some bitch who got in the way?"

"I know the Sheriff personally, and there's no way he's gonna believe your punk ass over me," I replied. I saw anger flash across the man's face and he stepped toward me.

I didn't even see him raise his hand, but I felt the back of his knuckles connect with my jaw, whipping my head to the side. I heard each of the monsters call out in protest and tasted blood in my mouth. It was hardly the worst I'd ever felt and I scoffed at him as I turned my head forward. I felt a drop of blood beading on my lips.

"Really? You think assaulting a young woman is going to go over well with the authorities?" I let my expression settle, showing all the pent up anger he was dangerously close to unleashing. "You **do not** want to push me." I warned him, almost hissing the words. I could feel my anger coiling tight, and adrenaline was pumping through my veins.

I had never actually been in a real fight, with actual intent to hurt, only sparring and practice with various self defense teachers. But I was more than up to challenge, and, quite to my surprise, eager to teach these ignorant jackasses a lesson.

Nick gestured to his compatriots and they pulled me forward, pulling my arms behind my back. He lifted his knife and placed at the base of my throat, nicking me.

I wasn't all that surprised they wouldn't be intimidated by me. I barely reached five feet-hardly dangerous looking. But they had no idea what I was capable of.

"Little missy, you don't want to push us," he warned me. "You're only going to make this harder on yourself." He slid his knife down, over the cotton of my black tank, resting the blade over my chest.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," I said, and then burst into action.

I whipped my head back and I felt the man behind me yell out at his nose crunched under the blow. His grip slackened and I whipped my arm around, feeling the other man's cheek connect with my elbow. They both dropped, almost simultaneously.

I felt the weapon as it rushed towards me and turned, side stepping. I wasn't fast enough to fully avoid the blow, and I felt a sting in my side as Nick's knife sliced through the skin between my ribs. I whipped my hand out, knocking the knife from his fingers, hearing it slide across the ground and clatter against the brick wall. Sensing the danger at my back, I ducked, narrowly avoiding a baseball bat to the back of head, and turned.

Everything slowed in my mind. I saw the man's arm extended above me as he attempted to hit me. He was too slow. I grabbed his arm, standing and turning, I pulled his arm over my shoulder and felt his shoulder pop out of its socket. He screamed and the baseball bat clattered to the ground. He dropped to the ground like a puppet that's string's had been cut.

I felt another presence to my left as the man with the crowbar rushed at me. I turned, backing up a step, narrowly avoiding the blow aimed at me, and rushed forward once his weapon had swung to the side. I kicked out, my foot connecting with his chest and he hit the brick wall. I heard his head thwack against it as he slid to the ground, crow bar falling from his fingers.

I dodged the blow of the man with the long pole, stepping away and then close, quickly disarming him and landing a blow to the side of his head, just enough to leave him unable fight as he dropped to the ground. I turned as I heard the two men I had first hit coming towards me, very angry at this point.

With my now ranged weapon, knocking them down was surprisingly easy. A few blows to the side and they collapsed. I heard Nick as he fumbled to pull something out of his pocket and turned, just in time.

I saw the glint as the light reflected off the gun and quickly knocked it from his fingers, pressing the end of the pole against the soft flesh of his throat, pushing him back against the wall.

I opened my mouth to speak when I felt someone move behind me. Little warning bells went off in my head and I grabbed one of the knives that lay on the ground, turning and flicking it towards the man who had reached to grab the gun that had slid his way.

The knife embedded into the wooden wall of the barn, the knife nicking the man's outstretched hand. I pulled a small knife from Nick's pocket, keeping the pole tight to his throat so he knew I was still paying attention to him and he wouldn't try anything.

I spun the blade lazily between my fingers as I looked at the man who was now staring at me in abject horror, watching the knife twirl between my fingers.

"Reach for that gun again, and the next knife. . . well you won't like where it ends up," I said in a warning tone, looking pointedly at his crotch. He gulped in fear and a hand subconsciously reached down to protect himself.

I let the knife hang from my fingers as I turned back to Nick, still keeping some focus on the man behind me, though I knew he would be too terrified to make another attempt, I wanted to be safe.

"I did warn you not to push me," I told him. He reached a hand towards the pole and I pushed a little harder in warning. His hand quickly dropped. Everyone else was either unconscious or too afraid or hurt to do anything further.

I turned to look at the monsters who were now staring at me with wide-eyed surprise.

"Is anyone hurt?" I asked them gently.

"No," the shorter skeleton answered me, and I noticed two lights had appeared in his eye-sockets, watching me warily.

"Good," I said, relieved. "Then can one of you come pull my phone out for me? I don't trust putting my weapons down for one second. Not with this lot." I glared at each of them as I said it, giving my knife a little twirl. Those that were still conscious watched me warily, and made no threatening moves.

"I-I can do that," the yellow monster said. She began to shuffle over when the shorter skeleton interrupted her.

"Alphys," he hissed in warning. So her name was Alphys. I noted that they were still wary of me, which was to be expected, I suppose.

"Sans, she saved us," Alphys said, turning to him. "We can at least put a little trust in her."

He sighed heavily and Alphys walked over to me. She was a bit taller than me. She gingerly reached into my pocket and removed my phone, unplugging my headphones.

"I have the Sheriff on speed dial. Number two," I told her.

"Hey now, that's not necessary," Nick said with a nervous laugh. He suddenly looked very afraid. "We ain't gonna cause trouble again, I swear."

"Now, see, I'd love to let you go," I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "But that frightened child and my bleeding side tell me that's not such a good idea, so shut it." I put a little more pressure to his throat and he swallowed nervously, going quiet.

Alphys pressed the number and then looked at me hesitantly. I gestured for her to put the phone to my ear and she did so, watching me carefully. She seemed worried she'd frighten me. I gave her a soft smile as the phone rang, twirling my knife for good measure, just to remind the men not to do anything stupid.

The Sheriff picked up, sounding worried.

"Vyne, what's up?" his voice was strained. I never called him on his work phone unless something was really wrong. Things were rarely really wrong.

"There's been a bit of trouble," I started.

"What happened?" he asked, straight to business.

"I found Nick and his boys harassing some people," I told him. I heard him sigh heavily. "Some monsters to be exact." He took a deep breath.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Well, I'm bleeding, but Nick and his boys are worse off," I told him, putting a joking tone to it, so he wouldn't freak out. "Other than that, everyone's fine, if a little rattled."

"Where are you?"

I quickly gave him our location.

"Good, I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep an eye on those boys until I get there, if you don't mind."

"No problem."

And with that he hung up. Alphys turned the phone off and put it back in my pocket.

"T-Thank you," she murmured. I let out a little laugh, to relieve tension.

"It's no problem, really. These assholes have had it coming for a while." I looked hastily at the child. "I mean, these jerks," I quickly corrected myself. I wasn't used to being around children.

I heard someone let out a frightened little gasp, and saw that the shorter skeleton had walked close to one of the men and bent over to pick something up. I noticed the gun in his hand. He walked over to me and held it out to me.

"Might be a little more useful," he murmured.

"Yeah," I said. I set the knife and pole down, gladly accepting the gun. I quickly opened it, checking to make sure it had bullets. Judging by the weight, it did, but I had to be sure. I snapped it closed with a quick motion, and pulled back the hammer, being careful to keep my finger away from the trigger and the gun pointed down, to avoid any accidents.

I pointed it at Nick, gesturing.

"Sit," I ordered.

"You're not gonna kill me," he scoffed at me. With the pole away from his throat, his cocky attitude was returning. I pointed the gun at his knees.

"No, but a gun to the knee cap might hurt like hell," I warned him. "You know I've never done it myself, so I can't be sure, but I'd looove to find out."

He quickly slid down the wall.

"Everyone who's conscious hands behind your heads, where I can see them. And don't move."

They proceeded to do as I had told them. They seemed to know that if I did shoot them, I'd find a way to keep myself out of trouble. They didn't want to risk me being trigger happy.

Now that I had a hand free, I pressed it to my ribs. There was a liberal amount of blood staining my shirt, which quickly soaked my fingers. Looks like the cut went deeper than I thought. I cursed silently. I felt myself suddenly becoming fatigued. The adrenaline was fading, and my side and jaw were beginning to ache.

I leaned against the wall, pressing my hand tight to side to stem any further bleeding.

"How bad is it?" the shorter skeleton asked, Sans I think his name was.

"I'm fine," I told him quickly, a bit too quickly.

"You sure about that?" he asked, eyeing me.

"Yeah, I've had worse," I replied. I realized too late that probably didn't sound too reassuring. He raised a brow, somehow, and just shrugged, not wanting to pry.

"SO, ARE YOU A SOLDIER?" the taller skeleton asked, quite loudly.

I snorted. "Hardly." I quickly continued, not wanting to seem rude. "I'm not a soldier, just a normal person."

"Why does a normal person need to know how to fight like that?" Sans asked.

I tensed a little. "Self- defense is useful. Case and point." I flicked the gun towards the men, indicating them. Sans only grunted at my answer, clearly not satisfied with it, but not wanting to push further.

I saw the child tug on the taller skeleton's scarf, and sign something to them. I couldn't quite see what, but they swiftly set them on the ground. They made to move towards me, and Sans stopped them, putting a warning hand to their shoulder.

"Perhaps introductions are in order," I quickly said. "The name's Silvyne. You can just call me Vyne."

"I'm A-Alphys," the tentative yellow monster said. I smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you Alphys," I greeted her. She smiled warily at me. I could see she was warming up to me.

"I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS GOOD TO MEET YOU SMALL HUMAN!" The taller skeleton shouted. I couldn't tell if he knew how loud he was.

I gave him a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Papyrus."

I saw his cheek bones turn a bit of an orange color. Was he blushing?

I saw the child pull out of Sans's grip and come closer to me.

 _Frisk._  I realized they were signing their name.

"It's good to meet you, Frisk. I'd sign back but my hands are a little full," I said, laughing lightly. The child beamed up at me non the less.

 _You can sign?_ They asked, clearly excited.

"I sure can," I said, laughing at their obvious joy at the revelation.

_This is Sans. He can be a little grumpy sometimes, but he's nice too._

I giggled, looking at the shorter skeleton.

"I'm sure he is, kiddo," I said in answer to Frisk. "People get shook up in these situations. It's no big surprise."

Frisk smiled at me, and then walked over to Sans, signing something up at them.

"Ah, kiddo, you know that's not allowed."

"PERHAPS WE SHOULD HELP OUR NEW FRIEND, AS FRISK WANTS! THEY HAVE HELPED US!"

Sans sighed and walked over to me. He opened his mouth to say something, and right at that moment, I heard sirens. I quickly stood straight, and walked to the front of the alley. I saw the Sheriff and a few other cop cars coming our way. I quickly waved them down.

They all pulled up, quickly climbing out of their cars. Hughes made his way right over to me. I stepped aside so he could see inside the alley. A quick look and he immediately groaned. He gestured to his fellows and they went into the alley, handcuffing and dragging the men into the cop cars, taking some effort to move the unconscious ones.

They spared a few glances for the monsters, but didn't say anything.

"So, what happened?" Hughes asked.

"Well, I was just out on my run when I heard the kid over there cry out. I found these. . . jerks harrassing these monsters. They had the kid pushed against the wall, and were obviously about to get violent. I interferred. I tried to tell them to just leave, but they wouldn't listen. They attacked me, I defended myself."

"I see that," he said, and he looked down at my side. As he really saw the damage he gasped a little. "How bad is it?"

"Not that bad," I quickly said. His brows furrowed. He didn't believe me. The blood had stained my fingers at this point, so it wasn't all that surprising. I realized I was starting to feel a bit light-headed.

I hated hospitals, and he knew it. I wouldn't step foot in one unless it was life-threatening.

"No broken bones?" he asked. I shook my head. "Not gonna need stitches?" Again, I shook my head, though this, I suspected, was a lie. I wasn't about to tell him that though. There was no way I was going to the hospital just for a few stitches. I could stitch myself up just fine.

He sighed, sensing I wasn't honest, but not wanting to push too hard.

"I don't think we'll have enough room to get you all transported to your proper places. Do you guys have a vehicle?" he asked, adressing the monsters clustered in the alley. They had retreated to the back of it, and were watching the cops uneasily.

"No," Alphys quickly said.

"They slashed our tires, we were forced to walk," Sans said, obvious annoyance coloring his tone.

Hughes nodded, and then pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text and then patted me on the shoulder as he moved towards the monsters.

"Get those hooligans back to the station," he called over his shoulder. "I'll take the reports."

The cops nodded and quickly climbed into their cars, driving back the way they came. I turned, leaning against the wall as he talked with the monsters, taking their accounts of what had happened, he even signed with Frisk. He was one of the few people I knew beside myself who could sign. After it was over, he collected phone numbers, in case he needed further details later.

As they finished talking, I heard a vehicle pull up behind us. I turned, seeing a familiar blue pick up truck. Nate climbed out, smiling at me.

"Hughes said there was trouble and you needed to borrow my truck. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just a bit of a. . . complicated situation," I said slowly. He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly noticing the bruise forming on my jaw and the blood on my hand, he rushed forward, concerned.

"What happened?" he asked, showing brotherly concern.

"Nick," was the only answer I felt like giving. It was the only answer that was needed. He glanced into the alley, and seeing who was gathered there, understanding dawned on his face.

"I see now," was all he said.

Hughes came over to us. "Would you mind lending Vyne your truck for the night. I can give you a lift home if you'd like."

"Yeah of course," Nate said, holding out his keys. Realizing suddenly that I still gripped the gun, I flipped the safety back on, handing it to Hughes. It was evidence after all. He chuckled, taking it from my hands. I pocketed the keys.

"I'll give you a call tomorrow, just to figure out the rest of these details," Hughes said. He walked closer the lifted my jaw carefully, being careful not to touch my bruise as he examined my face more closely.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?" he asked, worried. His concern warmed my heart. Half the time, he acted almost as a surrogate father-figure, the other half as a close family friend.

"I'm gonna be okay, I promise," I said. "Nick is hardly tough enough to to take me down." I said confidently.

Hughes chuckled. "He sure as hell isn't. Well, I'll leave the rest to you Vyne. I have to go deal with those boys. Get home safe and rest up, alright?"

"I will," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. He patted my shoulder as he walked to his car. Nate smiled at me before he left. I heard Hughes tell him he'd explain more on the way, and then they climbed into the cop car and left.

I turned back to the monsters.

"I can give you guys a ride back to your camp, if you'd like," I offered, jingling the keys.

"We'd really appreciate it," Alphys said, smiling in relief.

"But first, before the kid insists, I think we should do something about that cut," Sans said. They all walked over to me.

"This is no big deal, I can patch it up when I get home," I said, trying to be reassuring.

"You've been bleeding for a while now, and I know that's not good for humans," Sans said, chuckling. I looked over at the others, and noticed Frisk was beginning to shiver. The chill in the air had picked up, enunciated by the wind that was beginning to blow.

"There's a blanket in the truck, if you'd like," I told Frisk. They nodded eargerly. "Then let's get the truck started."

"I can do that," Alphys said, coming over to me and holding out her hand. I reluctantly placed them in hers, and her, Papyrus and Frisk walked over to the truck, leaving Sans and I standing in the alley.

"I'm alright, really," I tried to say.

"Not havin' it," Sans said. "Sit." Seeing his expression, I knew this would not be up for debate.

I sighed, and sat, leaning against the wall. The others were blocked from sight. Sans came and knelt down in front of me.

"Show me the wound," he demanded. I reluctantly lifted my shirt and even I winced at what I saw. The knife had sliced the skin between my ribs, revealing more flesh than I would have liked. My side was entirely covered in blood at this point and it was beginning to soak into my sweat pants.

Sans sighed and reached out a hand.

"What exactly do you plan to do? Will the injury to go away?" I asked, a little uneasy.

"We're made of magic remember?" was the only response I got. Ah, healing magic then.

"Will it hurt?" I asked, a little wary.

"It's healing magic, so no."

"Good. I can see how that could be counterproductive now that I think about it."

Sans smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching up before settling back into a serious expression. I wondered how a skeleton could have a mouth, or close their eyes, or make so many facial expressions at all, but decided not to question it too much. Magic. That's probably the only explanation that was needed.

Sans reached a bony hand forward and softly lifted my chin, looking at the bruise across my jaw. I saw his face harden as he looked at it. My skin tingled where he touched it, feeling ultra-sensative. Had he started using magic yet?

"You're surprisingly tough."

I snorted. "Yeah, I know."

His hand dropped from my jaw. I could feel my skin tingling after the contact. He lowered his hand and looked at me, hand at the hem of my shirt, unsure.

I lifted it up over the wound for him, wincing a little as the shirt stuck to the cut. I heard him suck it a breath. Did skeletons need to breathe? His face darkened as he looked at the wound, and he gently placed his hand over it. I couldn't help but gasp in pain, letting out a little pained noise.

"Sorry," Sans mumbled. I just nodded in reassurance. I could handle a little pain.

"So, how does this work?" I asked, a little breathlessly.

"I'll show you," was all he said. I watched him examine my wound, expression intense. And then I saw it. Magic. His left eye flamed with color, it swirled in his eye in electric blue, yellow and orange, looking like some kind of beautiful flame. It distracted me from my pain. I realized with a start I couldn't feel the pain anymore, at all.

I felt a warmth spread through my limbs, and Sans's fingers glowed blue with magic. I felt as my skin began to knit back together and my jaw tingled as the bruise lessened. The magic tingled in my veins, and felt somehow both comfortingly warm and electricifying at the same time. It took my breath away.

I let out a relieved moan as the wound closed, letting my eyes slip closed in relief. A few minutes passed, and Sans eventually drew his hand away, the light in his socket dispersing and the two points of white returning to his eye sockets.

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

"It's no problem, the kid would've insisted."

I glanced down at my wound, examining it. It was just a small, shallow cut now, and would need only a few stitches, if any at all. The bleeding had stopped. I pulled my shirt down.

Noticing the blood on his hand, I lifted a leg.

"You can wipe that off my sweat pants," I told him. "I'm covered in blood enough as it is."

He smiled tightly, and I could feel his bony hand through the material of sweats as he wiped the blood off. It made my skin tingle, even with the lack of actual skin contact. I didn't stop to wonder why.

"We should get going," Sans said.

"Agreed."

We both stood and walked over to the truck. I noticed Frisk was in the middle seat and Papyrus and Alphys were sitting in the back of the pick up. Alphys was wrapped in blankets. I was suddenly grateful Nate always seemed to bring so many around with him.

I climbed into the driver seat and Sans climbed into the passenger. The heat was blasting, thankfully. Frisk smiled at me as I pulled the car out, and we set off down the road towards the monster encampment.

Frisk fell asleep along the way, leaning against my uninjured side. I wrapped an arm around their shoulders, listening to their soft, peaceful snores.

"Will the kid really be alright?" I asked quietly. "Tonight's events were a little violent."

"They'll be fine. They're tougher than they look," Sans grumbled. I noticed he hadn't once looked over at me as we drove. He had a serious expression on his face. I turned my eyes back on the road.

"You don't trust me, do you?" I asked, stating the obvious, really. Sans didn't answer. A few moments later he spoke.

"Why did you help us?" he asked suddenly, startling me.

"Why wouldn't I?" I responded, a little confused.

"You put yourself in danger, just for a couple of monsters," he growled. His voice was tight with anger as he said it. I looked over and saw him watching me intently. "Those men would have seriously hurt you if they got the chance. Hell they probably would've enjoyed hurting you. No, they definitely would've enjoyed hurting you. Why would you put yourself at risk like that, for people like us?"

"You seem to think I give a shit whether you're monsters or not, and the simple fact is, I don't. How a person is born doesn't determine their worth or the value of their life. I helped you, just like I would've helped any person."

"You sure you didn't just do it because there was a kid there? Or because you got yourself in too deep and had to defend yourself?"

"I would've stepped in, whether Frisk was there or not."

"Most humans only look out for their own self-interest."

"If I was only looking out for myself, I wouldn't have showed my face at all, or I would have left when I had the chance. I stepped in to defend people who couldn't defend themselves."

"We are more than capable of defending ourselves."

"I'm aware, but what could you have done? Those men were cowards, and they wouldn't have attacked you if they didn't know they outnumbered you and you couldn't fight back. Not without risking starting a war. Though for some reason I doubt that would've stopped you, if I hadn't stepped in when I did. And I have a feeling if I hadn't, those men would've ended up much worse off. Am I wrong?"

Sans didn't reply.

"Look, I get that you don't trust me. I doubt you've met many kind humans, if any at all, but you have to give me credit where credit is due. I helped you guys because it was the right thing to do. I helped you guys because there was no way I was going to let those jackasses terrorize innocent people simply for existing. I know you probably don't believe me when I say it, but I'll say it again. The fact that you are monster **doesn't** matter to me. You're lives are no less important simply because you were born different than me. You're people just as much as I am. I don't judge others based on trivial things. You're free not to believe me, but whether you believe me or not doesn't make it any less true."

I finished my tirade with a huff. When I looked back over at Sans, I saw him watching me intently.

"You really mean that, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"I really do."

He sighed. He must have been able to see the truth of my words.

"Thank you," he mumbled quietly.

"Of course."

"What those men would've done to you-" his voice cut off. I looked over at him in surprise. I could hear the rage that colored his tone. He had been concerned about me. I smiled, touched.

"I knew I could handle them," I said quietly. "Even if I hadn't been sure, I would've risked it anyway."

"Why?"

"Because to me, there was no other choice. I couldn't just walk away." I shrugged.

"You're a good person."

"I try to be."

And we fell into a comfortable silence. We were nearing their camp.

"Hey, why were you guys out there so late anyway?" I asked, turning to Sans. "From what I understand, you guys shouldn't have even been out there, not without some kind of escort."

"We get regular supplies delivered to our camp once a week," Sans started. "But two weeks ago, shipments stopped coming. We called in a complaint to the people sendin' them, but all they said was that the trucks left as scheduled, and they didn't believe us when we told them they never arrived. They refuse to send extra supplies, and we've been running dangerously low. A few of us thought we'd go into town, see if we could buy some, when we ran into trouble."

"Wow, that's a dick move," I mumbled. Sans snorted. "I think I know the guy who runs that company too. I can have a little chat with him, if you'd like."

"That's not necessary, you've already done too much for us," Sans mumbled.

"Hardly," I replied softly, giving him a smile. "There's no point in saving you guys today if you're just going to starve later because of some stupid bull like that. Let me help you guys." I insisted.

"Alright," Sans replied, giving me a gentle smile. It warmed my heart, and I smiled back, glad to be getting on their good side.

I pulled up, and stopped. We were here. I heard Papyrus and Alphys climbing out of the back. Sans opened his door, and lifted the kid out, handing them to Papyrus.

Suddenly, commotion surrounded us. A blue fish lady came sprinting towards our vehicle. She stopped for a moment, and seeing who it was, rushing forward. She lifted Alphys off her feet, and wrapped her in a tight hug. I could see her talking to her, obviously relieved.

Two other monsters, tall goat-looking monsters walked forward as well. I could see monsters in the camp, looking in our direction warily, but not wanting to interfere.

"Frisk!" The goat-lady called, and rushed forward, wrapping Frisk in her arms.

I opened the door of my truck. They might want some explanation for what happened.

"We were concerned when you didn't come home," the tall goat-man grumbled. His voice was deep, and I could almost feel it in my chest when he spoke.

"Yeah, we ran into a bit of trouble out there," Sans said, rubbing the back of his skull awkwardly.

"What happened!" the blue fish lady yelled.

"Someone slashed the tires to our car," Sans mumbled. "We. . . got hassled a bit."

"What!"

"Now, now, Undyne, let's try to be calm about this," The tall goat-monster grumbled.

I saw Undyne's eyes settle on me, and suddenly her expression hardened.

"Why are they with you?" she asked with obvious distrust.

"SHE SAVED US UNDYNE!" Papyrus answered her, rather exuberantly.

"She did?" the goat-lady asked, looking at me. She handed Frisk to Undyne and walked over to me.

"My name is Toriel," she said. "Thank you for helping our friends."

"It was no trouble," I said quietly, a little embarrassed.

"By the looks of it, it was more trouble than you are letting on," the other goat monster said, seeing my blood-covered clothes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said quietly. "This is nothing."

"Perhaps we should thank you more properly. My name is Asgore. This is Undyne, and this is Toriel."

"It's very nice to meet you all," I said, giving them all a warm smile.

"Perhaps you should come in, we can give you a change of clothes and maybe a nice meal," Asgore offered. He sounded so kind.

"I can't," I said, truly disappointed. "There's someone I've got waiting for me at home. I don't want to worry them more than I probably already have. But thank you for the invitation."

"Of course, dear," Toriel said kindly. "You will always be welcome here. We didn't catch your name."

"Silvyne," I answered.

"Well, Silvyne, be sure to come back and visit us, and we can repay you for your kindness," Asgore rumbled, smiling at me. I smiled at them, and waved as I climbed back into the truck.

As I drove back down the road, I glanced back in the mirror. Everyone had begun to head back towards the camp, except for Sans. He stood, watching my car as it disappeared down the road, an expression I couldn't quite place on his features.


	2. A Concerned Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day, a new mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simple chapter, not much going on. It will pick up in the next few chapters. Feedback is welcome and I hope you enjoy :3

As I pulled into the parking lot, I pulled a spare hoodie out of the back of Nate's truck, quickly covering my blood stained clothes.

I quietly entered the house, and was relieved when I saw Raes asleep on the couch. The TV was still on one of her favorite anime's and I realized by how she was asleep, that she must have fallen asleep waiting for me.

I felt a little pang of guilt, knowing she had been concerned about me. I quickly covered her with a blanket, shifting her into a more comfortable position, and lowering the volume on the TV. I was once again grateful she was such a heavy sleeper. Once she was asleep, nothing would wake her for at least eight hours.

I quietly crept into the bathroom, and pulled the first aid kit out of the medicine cabinet.

As I looked in the mirror, I noticed with a bit of surprise that the bruise that had been on my jaw was almost completely faded, just a small yellow splotch on my skin. It would be easy to cover up with make up. It would be a little difficult to explain why I was wearing make up as I hadn't worn any in a long time, but I could think of something.

I quickly removed my clothes and turned the shower on, washing the blood from my body. My stomach twisted as I saw it stain the water red, washing down the drain. I pushed away dark thoughts and quickly stitched myself up. Turned out I did still need a few. I quickly cleaned, washing the rest of the dirt off my body.

I untied my hair, letting it fall loosely down my back, letting the water wash the remaining dirt from it. My hair reached past my waist, and it was an effort to clean when I was so dirty, but I didn't mind.

I stepped from the shower, toweling myself dry, being careful when I patted the wound dry. I quickly patched up my side, and re-wrapped myself in my towel. I rushed to my room and threw on some soft blue pajama bottoms and a black cotton t-shirt.

I went back to the bathroom, quickly throwing all the clothes into a garbage bag, and throwing Nate's hoodie into the wash, just to be sure there were no blood stains anywhere on it when I returned it with his truck.

I cleaned up all traces of my injury and fell into bed, exhausted.

~~~

I was shook awake that morning by a worried little sister. Raes worried face, accompanied by a bright light, woke me.

"Silvy, wake up!" she said rather insistently. I groaned as I came awake, rubbing my eyes.

"Sis, calm down," I said placatingly. "I'm awake. Sorry I came home late last night."

"About that," she said, moss green eyes sparkling with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, giving her a smile. Her sudden suspicious glare stole the next words out of my mouth before I could voice them.

"Don't you dare pull that with me," she huffed, crossing her arms. "The Sheriff called me last night and told me what happened."

I groaned. "Damnit Hughes," I grumbled under my breath.

"Really, sis, you weren't gonna tell me?" Raes complained, exasperated.

"I was, just when it was further behind me and you wouldn't be so worried."

"I would've worried anyway, and then you would've had to deal with me being angry over you not telling me sooner. What happened last night? Hughes wasn't entirely clear about that."

"I was just out for my run when I heard Nick and his asshole friends harassing a group of monsters and some kid. I stepped in, tried to help. Nick was an idiot, decided to attack me, and I defended myself."

"You sure you didn't start it?"

"Did you not hear me? _He_ attacked _me_. I even tried to warn him, gave him a couple chances to just walk away before he got himself into trouble, but he wasn't having it. Neither was I. They had every intention of seriously hurting those monsters, and me for interrupting. I did what I had to."

Raes sighed. "I'm sure you did." She sat down on the bed beside me and hugged me. "You've always been a good person like that, putting yourself in danger for others."

I stiffened at that comment. "What do you mean by that, sis?" I asked, laughing to try to make the question seem less serious.

"Oh, you know what I mean," she said, pulling back. I felt my stomach twist nervously. "Remember all those kids you helped back in grade school? No matter what school we went to, or what grade we were in, you didn't tolerate bullying. You ever saw it, or so much as heard about anyone bullying anyone you were quick to step in. Got yourself into quite a few fights defending people too. Not that anyone stood a chance against you, but still."

I laughed in relief. I did indeed remember. I couldn't tolerate people who tormented others just to feel powerful or to make themselves feel better about themselves.

"Yeah, I have a habit of doing that, don't I?" I asked, laughing. Raes looked at me exasperatedly.

"Yeah, you do," she said with a little sigh, laughing.

"Was anybody hurt?" she asked suddenly.

"None of the monsters were, no. I got there just in time. Now Nick and his boys, they didn't exactly make it out unscathed."

"And you?" Raes asked, lifting an eyebrow. I could see she already knew the answer, and was just asking to see how I'd answer. I reluctantly lifted my shirt, showing her the bandage. Her face fell in concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked, reaching a hand out and touching my side lightly.

"I'm fine, really. It was just a scratch. Nick and his boys ended up much worse off."

"Good," Raes said. "They've had it coming."

I laughed. "I thought the same thing."

Suddenly, my phone began to ring, and I pulled it off my bedside table. It was Hughes.

I quickly answered, and his first question was to ask if I'd made it home without trouble. I assured him the monsters got where they needed without anymore trouble and I had gotten home and was well.

Hughes proceeded to ask me for more details about the night before. Raes sat and listened attentively. I could tell she had no intention of leaving the room.

"So do you intend to press charges?" Hughes asked, seeming to already know the answer after I had retold my story in further detail.

"Hell yes," I said. "Mainly because I know that the monsters wouldn't stand a chance doing it themselves. And technically my life was in danger. If I hadn't been as good at dodging as I was, any one of those attempted blows could've killed me." I wasn't joking. Raes face twisted in concern and I gave her a light-hearted smile.

"Alright, well I'll be sure to get that under way. Attempted murder added to list, they could be locked up in a prison for a good long time. Once the trial's over and they are convicted, they'll be moved and some big county prison can deal with them."

"Good riddance," I grumbled. Raes nodded as Hughes mumbled his agreement. At that moment, I remembered something. "Hey Hughes, do you know about the company that sends shipments of supplies to the monsters?"

"Yeah, that's Buck's company isn't it? What about them?"

"Well, one of the monsters last night told me they were in town because their shipments haven't been arriving the last few weeks, and Buck wouldn't do anything about it. They were forced to come into town to try to get supplies."

"Really? I haven't heard of any problems around that. No one's reported any kind of robbery."

"Exactly my thoughts. I was wondering if you could get me a warrant to search his place and his employee's places. I probably won't need it, but just to be sure he understands what's at stake when I talk to him. Letting people starve rather than looking into the disappearance of his own merchandise might not look all that great in court. Even if monsters are the victims."

"Yeah, sure thing kiddo," Hughes replied. "I'll get right on that. I'll fax it over to you later this afternoon and you can go have a chat with him. Be sure to call me if there's any actual trouble, alright?"

"Sure thing, and thanks Hughes."

"Just call me Joel, I insist," he replied, a little exasperatedly.

"You always do," I laughed. "I should let you get back to work."

"Yeah, I'll get back to you later Vyne."

"Sure thing."

With a quick goodbye, I hung up.

"So, more trouble?" Raes asked me.

"Yeah, seems like it," I replied.

"Well, before you get ready for that, tell me about the monsters, what were they like?" She seemed excited. And I couldn't blame her. Both of us had been wildly curious about them, but had never had the opportunity to find out much.

I quickly told her about the monsters I met, and how nice they were. She seemed completely enthralled. After our talk we moved to the kitchen to make breakfast, and relaxed, talking about the monsters. She seemed excited to meet them, and I promised if I visited their camp, I'd bring her. I knew Frisk would be happy to meet her.

As the time passed, I heard my fax come in. I quickly shoved the official documents into a folder, and into my larger purse. I quickly dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans, sliding my feet into my black boots and a dark blue button up shirt, tucking it in, and putting on a black belt, to look more official. I was going to pin my hair up, as I usually did when I went out, but Raes insisted on braiding it.

She ran her fingers through the long black curls as she braided it. Her braids were always very elaborate, but never seemed to take her long to do. She loved doing my hair. She always kept her ink hair at chin length, so she couldn't really do anything to it, so she loved being able to experiment with my hair instead.

I waved at her as I left the house, eager to get on with business. I had made a promise to myself that I would help those monsters however I could. I set off for Buck's warehouse, determined to walk away with results.

~~~

I pulled up to Buck's warehouse, still borrowing Nate's truck. As I pulled up, I received a text. It was from a number I didn't recognize.

It read, _Hey, it's FRISK! I heard you might be getting supplies for us? If you are, could you get a few other things for me?_

Along with that text was a long list of supplies and groceries, each with a name next to it. A few I recognized, as I had met them the night before. I smiled, and assured her I would before climbing out of the truck.

I quickly made my way toward the entrance, braid hitting between my shoulder blades with every step. I entered and greeted Susan, who sat at the front desk. I asked her to tell Buck I was here, and it was urgent. I showed her the documents in my purse, and she assured me she'd get him in to see me immediately.

Shortly after I was ushered into his office. It smelled of whisky and smoke. Which was _really_ not allowed, I knew.

I sat down gingerly on the chair he offered, not trusting the cleanliness of the place.

I got straight to business.

"I hear there have been some shipments that haven't been arriving at the monster encampment."

He chuckled nervously. "And where exactly did you hear that, Vyne?"

"From a reliable source."

"One of those monsters tell you? You know you can't take their word-"

"Before you embarrass yourself, yes, it was a monster who had told me. And before you try to protest, I know they haven't been arriving. Just so you can see the gravity of this situation-" I opened my purse and pulled out the folder, setting it down in front of him. "Sheriff Hughes has already called a judge and had those drawn up. If there are any shortages or overages in your supplies we'll know about it. And also, just to be sure, there are warrants to search your employees houses, in case any of them decided to steal property for their own self-interest or to sell to others. So before you lie to me, or embarrass yourself further, let's make a deal."

"Alright, Vyne, what kind of deal?" he eyed me nervously.

"You are going to get those supplies for the monsters, and you are going to triple it, for being so late in delivering. And there are a few other things that I would like you to add to them, I have the list right here." I placed the paper with Frisk's list on top of the folder.

Buck cleared his throat nervously. "I can have that ready next week."

"No, you'll have it ready tomorrow," I ordered.

"I don't think-"

"Don't lie to me Buck, you've had tighter situations and pulled through just fine for people you consider friends. You'll have it done, or I will involve the authorities in this, do you understand?"

"Alright, alright, there's no need to be hasty, I'll have them ready tomorrow."

"Good. And my sister and I will be accompanying the trucks to make sure they get there. So call us tomorrow before they head out."

"Will do, Vyne." Buck assured me with a nervous chuckle. I grabbed the folder, leaving the list for him, and left, quite happy with my results.

I returned Nate's truck on my way home, chatting with him for a bit before I jogged home.

~~~

The next morning we were woken by a call at seven in the morning. We quickly got ready and headed over to Buck's warehouse.

We parked our car out front, and the three supply trucks headed out, with Raes and I riding shot gun.


	3. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monsters earn some much needed help.

We pulled up to the monster encampment a short time later. I had sent a quick text to the number Frisk had texted me from, and let them know to wake some of the monsters up. When we pulled up, I noticed the same monsters I had met before waiting for us. I saw surprise cross over their faces when they saw the supply vehicles. Frisk clearly hadn't told them what was happening.

I climbed out of the cab, jumping the short distance to the ground.

"Thought you guys could use a few supplies," I greeted with a wide smile, patting the truck beside me.

"You did this?" Undyne asked, seeming very surprised.

"Mhmm," I hummed happily, quite pleased.

"How did you manage this?" Sans asked, surprised. He clearly hadn't expected me to get results, if he even expected me to follow through at all.

"I knew Buck personally. All I had to do was wave a warrant in his face and he quickly caved," I said proudly, an admittedly self-satisfied smile coming to my face.

I heard footsteps quickly approaching me from behind. It was Raes, and she was clearly excited, seeing the monsters for the first time. The men had climbed out of the truck's and were waiting around for direction.

Asgore called to a few monsters that had begun to gather, curious about the commotion. They began to unload the trucks, carrying the contents into camp.

I slipped my arm through Raes' and brought her forward to meet the monsters.

"This is my sister Raes, or just Rae. She was very excited to meet you all, so I promised her I'd bring her along to meet you."

"WHY HELLO!" Papyrus was the first the greet her, rushing forward and holding his hand out. She accepted and he shook her hand rather vigorously, shaking her whole body. "I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I AM GLAD TO MEET ANOTHER HUMAN LIKE YOUR SISTER! SHE SAVED US YOU KNOW!"

"So I've heard," Rae giggled, clearly enjoying his exuberance.

Frisk came forward and signed her name to her, and Rae signed back. Rae, like me, knew sign language. Neither of us knew anyone deaf or mute, but we had both learned it for the sake of convenience.

Frisk was animatedly talking to Rae, telling her how I had so valiantly saved them, and Papyrus was quick to join in the story telling.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned, finding Undyne standing behind me.

"Hey, thanks for helping us out," she said, rather sincerely, punching my arm lightly, well, lightly for her. The unexpected gesture nearly unbalanced me. "We don't meet very many good humans. It seems we got fortunate with you. Sorry I treated you distrustfully when we first met."

"It's okay," I reassured her. "You had every right not to trust me. Trust is earned, and hopefully I'm heading the right direction now."

"Yeah, you sure as hell are. We don't meet many people like you period, let alone a human like you. So thanks."

"It was no problem. It was least I could do."

Undyne gave me another punch on the shoulder and a wide smile, and jogged off to help with the unloading.

"Thank you," Alphys murmured quietly as she went to join Undyne. I gave her a warm smile in return.

I had stepped to the side and was watching my sister talking with Frisk, Papyrus and Toriel when I felt a presence at my side.

"You actually managed to pull this off, and with not one but three trucks for us. You really are good at producing miracles, aren't you?"

I turned to see Sans standing beside me, looking down at me. I smiled at him and he smiled back, the lights in his eyes showing a warmth they had lacked before. I liked his face much more with a warm expression. It suited him.

"Oh, that reminds me," I said, remembering the treats I had in a box in the back of the truck. I gestured for him to follow me, and climbed into the back of the first supply truck. It was almost empty, but luckily they had left the box I had labelled alone. I opened it up, pulling out the box containing bottles of ketchup with Sans' name on it. I walked the back of the truck and sat down, sliding out of the back and landing on my feet lightly, holding the box out to Sans.

The sudden surprised and happy look that spread on his face warmed my heart and I laughed.

"The kiddo texted me when they heard I was trying to get supplies and sent along a little list. They said you _really_ like ketchup. There are special treats for everyone in those boxes in the back."

He gratefully accepted the box from my arms, and walked over, leaning against a large tree off to side of the path. I joined him.

"You really do produce miracles," Sans mumbled, pulling the box open and sliding to the ground to sit down. I slid down with him, and laughed happily.

"A box of ketchup is hardly a miracle. Considering all the trouble you guys went through because of Buck being an ass, I figured he owed you guys."

He pulled a bottle out and then pulled out a second, offering it to me. I laughed and quickly declined. "I'm good."

"Don't like ketchup?" he asked, raising a brow suspiciously as though to ask who doesn't like ketchup?

"No, I love ketchup, it's one of my favorite condiments, but it's not exactly very good in copious amounts. Besides, it would probably make me sick to just drink it like that."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah, condiments aren't exactly healthy. I don't know about monsters, but humans don't do well with so much unhealthy stuff."

"Huh," Sans murmured, and then shrugged as though to say suit yourself and popped a bottle open, somehow taking a swig. I giggled quietly, seeing how ridiculous he looked.

I looked back over to see Rae talking animatedly with various other monsters who had wandered over. I hoped she was watching what she said. I didn't want her offending anyone or causing trouble. She was well-meaning, but probably too curious for own good.

Frisk looked over at me and Sans and sent me a wave, which I quickly returned, before turning back to my sister.

"You really didn't have to do all this," Sans suddenly said.

"Well, I like to think that when a person has a way to help others in need, they have a moral obligation to do everything they can to help."

"You really are a saint, aren't you?"

I laughed, probably louder than I should have. Those words had certainly caught me by surprise. "Hardly," I said, shaking my head. "I just like to live by certain moral standards, as every living being should."

Sans chuckled, shaking his head. He looked over at me, and his expression clearly said he couldn't believe I was real. I blushed and looked forward, shrugging nonchalantly, trying to downplay it.

You shouldn't take pride in things that should just be moral common sense. It really shouldn't be that surprising to find a decent human being, and my heart twisted sadly for the monsters who must have suffered so much to be so surprised by someone like me.

We watched the supplies being carried around in peaceful silence. Until my stomach grumbled rather loudly, and I sighed. I realized in my excitement to head out, I had forgotten to eat this morning.

"Hungry?" Sans asked, giving me an amused look.

"Maybe," I mumbled, smiling sheepishly. Sans slid his now empty bottle back into the box, picking it up in one hand and standing, holding out his free hand to me.

I accepted and he pulled me to my feet.

"Come on, I know somewhere to get some good grub," and he led me through the tents. The one we entered smelled of wood and grease, and was almost stiflingly warm.

There were wood floors and booths around the establishment. Sans walked straight over to the bar, and I noticed with a bit of surprise there was a monster made entirely of fire standing behind the bar, polishing glasses. I wondered for a moment how it was possible for him to be clothed seeing as he was _made of fire_ , but quickly dismissed the curiosity. Magic. Literally the explanation for every seemingly illogical thing to do with monsters.

I quickly joined Sans at the bar, sliding into the stool next to him.

"What would you like?" he asked, looking at me side ways.

"Hmm," I thought for a moment. "French fries sound pretty good right about now," I answered. I had an unusual craving for salt at the moment, and fries sounded delicious. Sans told the fire monster, Grillby, our order, and he disappeared through a door behind the bar.

"Nice little establishment you have here," I said, looking around the place. "It's very. . . homely." And it was, somehow. The smell of wood and fire made the place incredibly comfortable, but also stiflingly warm. I quickly removed my sweater, draping it on the stool beside myself, leaving myself in just a short, red tank. I was grateful I had pinned my hair up that morning.

I pretended not to see when Sans' eyes flashed to my skin, quickly glancing over my suddenly much more revealed body, before flashing away, his cheeks turning a light shade of blue (skeletons can blush?), as though he were embarrassed at himself.

"Yea, Grillby's is the best establishment here, probably the best on the surface," Sans said, rubbing the back of his skull, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Grillby returned carrying two large plates of fries and set them down in front of us. Embarrassment quickly forgotten, we dug in. Sans pulled out another bottle of ketchup, and I gratefully accepted his offering, putting some on the plate and digging in.

The fries were deliciously made. Obviously freshly cut, and liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, not tasting too greasy and not too soft or too hard.

My satisfied hum as the food met my tongue made Sans chuckle happily.

We sat and chatted, mostly talking about the other monsters in the camp, and how things were progressing for the monsters, which was to say the least, not well.

The plates were quickly cleared, and I licked the remaining salt and ketchup from my fingers, pretending not to see when Sans' eyes flashed to my mouth, watching the movement. I felt myself blush lightly, suddenly feeling as though the innocent gesture was somehow sexual.

"So, have there been any plans on getting you guys out of this place?" I asked. "Not that this place isn't nice, but it isn't exactly a town, ya know?"

"We've been trying," Sans grumbled, clearly irritated with the answer he had to give. "But unfortunately, we can't move into any towns unless there's an general consensus from the humans for us to settle there, and so far there's been no success in finding a town that will wholly agree to it."

"People are unbearably ignorant," I sighed angrily.

Sans looked over at me in surprise, as though he hadn't expected me to get angry on their behalf. "Ya don't say," he said, sarcastically.

A sudden idea popped into my head, but I chose not to voice it, just saying, "Well, I'll have to do something about that then."

Sans snorted. "Good luck with that. Acquiring a few trucks of supplies and getting us an entire town are two entirely different things. You can't force people to change how they think, no matter how wrong they are."

"True, but I can certainly try. Besides, I have a few ideas in mind. I'm sure I can come up with something suitable. I've been successful producing these so called miracles so far."

"Yeah, but that. . ."

"What, no faith at all? After all these great accomplishments?" I asked, exaggeratingly raising my arms in a general gesture of our surroundings, indicating what I had accomplished so far.

"I don't like to get my hopes up," Sans mumbled, expression rather serious as he said it. I dropped my joking demeanor.

"I know," I said. "Which is why I'm not going to promise anything, other than that I will do everything in my power to help you guys."

"Why would you do so much for us?" Sans asked quietly, not looking over at me. "We're practically strangers."

"Doesn't matter. I help people in need, simple as that. And beside, it's the greatest kindnesses that can earn you the greatest friends."

"You'd really want to be friends with a group of monsters?" Sans asked, looking over at me with a conflicted expression.

"It would be my honor," I said, deadly serious.

"Heh," was all Sans said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Is that really so surprising?" I asked, giving him a smile. "I mean, what sane person wouldn't want to be friends with a group of **awesome** monsters," I said, exuberantly. Sans chuckled and smiled at my over-excitement. I gave him a kind smile. "Would you monsters want to be friends with a human, when so many have caused you grief?"

"Doesn't matter that you're human, just matters who you are. And yeah, every monster here would probably be happy to be your friend. Myself included."

"Good," I said, smiling, genuinely happy with the answer. Right at that moment, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing a text from my sister. The truck's were done unloading.

"Looks like they're all done," I said, disappointed to be leaving so soon. I was genuinely enjoying spending time with Sans.

"Damn," he said, seeming disappointed as well. We slid off our stools, and I slid my sweater back on as we stepped outside. We quickly made our way back to the trucks. My sister was already in one of them and she waved at me from the window.

I gave the monsters my farewell, and Frisk made me promise that we'd visit again. I reassured her that we would, and I climbed into the truck, driving back the way we came.

That night, I sat down at my computer and began my extensive research. I spent most of the night at my computer, waking in the morning to find that I'd fallen asleep like that.

I quickly dressed and headed out with my lap top in my bag, ready to bring my findings and plans to Hughes.

I was greeted at the front and quickly led to his office, after a warm and sweet cup of coffee was placed in my very grateful hands.

I sat down in front of Hughes and placed the laptop on his desk, pulling it open without any forewarning.

"What this?" he asked, looking at the files I had open.

"A place for the monsters to stay," I answered and he looked at me in surprise.

"Of course you'd manage to figure something out," he mumbled, smiling. He quickly looked over my plans and then raised an eyebrow at me.

"This is gonna take a bit of work, and a bit of money," he said.

"I can supply the money, if you can help me get volunteers."

"It's a deal." And he shook my hand. We didn't waste any time getting started. Two weeks later, I returned to the monsters, file in hand filled with pictures and completed plans.

I climbed out of my vehicle, realizing too late that in my excitement I had forgotten to text the monsters before hand that I was coming.

I walked through the tents, searching for the one I thought would be Asgore's.

"Need some help gettin' somewhere?" A familiar deep, raspy voice asked from behind me and I jumped, turning to see a familiar grinning face.

"Yes, actually. I need to speak to Asgore, and whoever else is important around here. I have a surprise," I said, smile tugging the corners of my lips as I pat the file in my hand. Sans looked down at it curiously, and led me to Asgore's tent.

The monsters were quickly gathered, and I wasn't surprised to find that it was all the ones I already knew, along with one exuberant and fabulous robot I had yet to meet.

I didn't waste time. I couldn't hide my excitement as I set the file on the table, opening it for all to see.

"What's this?" Asgore asked, looking at the pictures in confusion.

"A new home," I answered.

All eyes flew to me in shock and the pictures were pulled out and passed around. I sat patiently, waiting, and I knew a smug smile was on my face.

"How the hell did you manage to pull this off?" Sans asked, disbelief coloring his tone. "This is _literally_ impossible. You had better not just be pullin' our leg here."

"I would never," I quickly defended myself, over exaggerating my offense at the prospect.

"How is this possible?" Asgore asked, clearly not wanting to even hope that what I had presented them was true.

"That town there lies at the base of Mt. Ebott, two hours from here. It was completely abandoned several decades ago after a particularly bad earthquake hit the town."

"Is this town safe?" Toriel asked, unsure.

"Yes, there hasn't been another earthquake since, or before it from what records can tell. The people abandoned the town because they became superstitious. With it being so close to the mountain, the people began to believe that monsters were somehow behind it, as though it were some kind of attack, and it was abandoned."

"Why was this town built there to begin with?" Asgore asked curiously.

"Well, there was a very rich man who liked the forest and lake that are in that area, and decided to build an estate there. Eventually he built houses for friends and family, and then they built more for friends of family and family of friends, and so on and so forth until it became an actual town. There are houses, shops and stores of all kinds, a school, a medical center, a library, a movie theater, a concert hall. Just about everything you will need. And certainly big enough to house all the monsters comfortably. And there are no people inhabiting the town to object to it."

"If the town was abandoned, then there must have been a lot of work to be done, but the town looks completely fine in these pictures," Sans stated, looking at me suspiciously.

"Well, I supplied the money, we got some volunteers and we repaired and cleaned up the town. Fixed a few electrical and plumbing problems, repaired a few buildings damaged by the earthquake, cleaned up the houses to make them livable, it was surprisingly easy actually."

Everyone sat in stunned silence for a few moments.

"You did all this for us?" Asgore asked quietly, in obvious disbelief. His eyes were wide as he looked at me, almost pleading.

"Yes, I did. You deserve better than to be left living in tents for the rest of your lives. Here your children can go to a proper school and have the care and homes that all your people deserve."

Everyone stared at me for a few moments, and then Undyne of all people, rushed forward and lifted me clear off my feet and into a crushing hug.

"Sans was right! You really are a miracle!" Undyne shouted, hugging me tight to her bossom. I laughed happily as she set me on my feet and I was wrapped in an enormous group hug.

When I was finally released, I told them the rest of the news.

"The town is a gated community as well. There's only one road into and out of the town, with the estate at the head of it. So humans shouldn't be able to cause too much trouble, if any think of causing some. Easy to defend should people get too rowdy."

"You really have produced a miracle today," Asgore mumbled happily. "Well then, I would like to ask you something, and please answer honestly."

"Of course," I was quick to respond.

"Would you be a representative for the monsters?"

I smiled kindly. "I will gladly accept this role. Actually, the Sheriff already thought of this. He figured just the monsters living in town, it might be kind of hard to convict anyone causing trouble if there isn't a human there to witness it. And even though it would only be two people, humans living among the monsters might be a good starting milestone for showing people that you are all peaceful, and maybe make earning acceptance easier."

"You and your sister wouldn't mind living among us?" Undyne asked uncertainly.

"Of course not, actually, we're both pretty excited about it. We don't like our neighbors very much anyway. Since monsters came to the surface, they've begun to show their true colors, and we'd much rather live with all of you than the bigoted idiots in our town. Not that everyone there is, but still. . ." I shrugged.

Frisk tugged on my jacked and signed to me, _Will you live with us?_

"Well, I don't know if I will be living directly with you, but I'm sure I can find a way to live close."

"Actually, from what these plans show, the estate is enormous. Perhaps, if you would not mind, we should all live there in the estate. From the looks of the place every person could have their own individual section of the house, and it would make both dealing with trouble, and important diplomatic meetings easier to have us all in one place. What do you say?" Asgore asked, looking up at me from the file in his hands.

"My sister and I wouldn't mind that, no. It would be much more convenient."

"Then it's settled. We will have to get on this immediately. I will go announce the good news, and everyone will start preparing. We can head out tomorrow, does that sound good to you?"

"It does indeed. I'll ask a few people to lend us some rental vehicles to try to make moving easier."

"Magic also helps with that," Sans said, wiggling his fingers.

"And there's that," I said with a smile. "So we're all set?"

"It seems we are," Asgore mumbled.

"Then I should be heading out, got a bit of work to do today," I said. I quickly bid them farewell and Sans walked me back to my vehicle.

As I turned around to say goodbye I was suddenly wrapped in a surprising hug. I returned it, after my shock faded. Sans was surprisingly warm.

"Thank you so much," he mumbled, his breath stirring my hair and tickling my neck. I noted he was much taller than me, and was leaning over at a probably uncomfortable angle. I quickly pushed myself up on my toes, trying to gain some height, make it easier on him.

"Of course," I said back quietly. "I look out for my friends."

I felt him chuckle. He pulled back. "So, we're friends?"

"Hell yes, or at least I'd better be after all of that," I said, and Sans laughed, hugging me again, a hug which I happily accepted. Sans seemed to radiate warmth, and was surprisingly comfortable to hug.

"I should let you go," Sans said, pulling back.

"Yeah, got a lot of work to do," I laughed. I climbed into my car with a last wave, and drove home. We began packing that night, making a few calls to secure some vehicles, and a few helping hands for the next few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems the monsters have finally found their savior. Feedback is welcome, and I hope you enjoyed the story :3


	4. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silvy and Rae find themselves in a new home with a new family. Time to learn a few things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is welcome and I hope you continue to enjoy :3

With the help of various volunteers, some of which I paid to assist, the entire encampment was moved to the town within a week.

When I first set eyes on the enormous wrought iron gate, and the enormous estate behind it, it took my breath away. I had known it was big, but wow. The iron gate was too high to climb and the bars too closely wound together for anyone to even think of getting through. The man who had built the estate obviously liked his privacy, as the estate was somewhat separate from the town as well.

The gate opened onto a large roundabout to the front of the estate and two brick roads that led off to the left and right in opposite directions. All the roads in the town seemed to be paved with bricks or stones, giving it an old timey feel to it.

The estate was enormous, and would be housing my sister and myself, Undyne and Alphys, Toriel and Asgore, Sans and Papyrus, and Frisk and Mettaton with room to spare for any guests. The estate was separated into four main houses, though to save the trouble of walking all over the place, we mainly stuck to the two main buildings.

There was an expanse of grass leading to the tree line from the back of the estate, and the forest wrapped around either side of the estate, shielding it from the roads, and continued for several miles behind the estate before the town opened up around it all the way to the base of the mountain.

There was even an enormous river and lake outside of the fence of the community, which would be perfect for swimming and fishing and the like. The entire town was beautiful, and I could tell by the looks of the trees that at least half them would be changing colors when fall rolled around.

Homes were designated, shops were assigned, jobs were appointed and by the end of the week, everyone was situated and it was a true, working town.

At the end of the last day of moving I stood in my suddenly very extravagant room. All the rooms in the estate seemed to be. The estate had a wood and stone decorative feel to it and there were a lot of windows, all showing a beautiful view of the forest around the estate.

My room had a small fireplace, and a large king sized canopy bed. The entire thing was wrapped in white christmas lights, and all of my belongings were comfortably spread around the room, giving it a very homely feel, making it feel like the unfamiliar space was mine.

I even had a designated corner to actually keep a canvas and my art supplies, a large bookcase along the expanse of one wall, filled with my ridiculous amount of books, and a guitar nestled in the corner. The extravagant home was in a completely different world from the small apartment Rae and I had moved from.

I plopped down into the bed, exhausted. I sighed, happy with the sudden turn my life had made. I even remembered to set an alarm so I could get up early the next morning and prepare a surprise for everyone on our first official day in our new home.

I woke and quickly showered, the shower being as equally extravagant as the room, with a huge shower with shower heads on all sides, and an enormous jacuzzi bathtub. I stood in front of the mirror afterwards, rolling my contacts case between my fingers uncertainly, looking up at my face in the mirror.

My eyes were mismatched in color, and I usually wore contacts to avoid questions and looks, but I figured we'd be living with them now, I couldn't wear colored contacts every second of the day, and figured I might as well get it over with.

My left eye was a deep, rich blue, like a sapphire, which wasn't entirely unusual, but the right was a bright, rich violet color, and was very unusual for a human. I had often been treated with mistrust, a lot of people seemed to suspect there was something wrong with me because of the odd color, and I was always treated differently when people saw the strange eye. I always wore a contact over it, to make it look a blue color to match the other to avoid questions. I figured I couldn't avoid the questions forever considering who we lived with, and didn't bother to cover it up.

I threw on some black leggings and a tank and made my way downstairs. I went to the main designated kitchen, which was enormous, to find my sister was already up, having planned much the same as me. And, surprisingly, Sans was down there with her, propped in one of chairs at the island.

"Mornin'," I greeted as I came in. My sister jumped in surprise. I noticed there were ingredients scattered on the counters and she had a recipe book in her hand.

"Silvy, I didn't know you'd be up so early!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I wanted to come make a good home-made breakfast for everyone for our first morning in." I laughed light heartedly, coming into the kitchen. I noticed there was a pot of coffee and gladly poured myself a cup, mixing in my favorite sweet creamer.

Rae laughed. "I had the same idea, actually. I was just hoping to surprise you too. And. . ." Rae looked at my eye pointedly, seeming to ask with her eyes if I knew that it was uncovered, and I smiled and shrugged. She smiled in return and I turned to Sans. I saw his eye sockets widen fractionally upon seeing my eyes.

"Wow," he murmured quietly. Not the response I had been expecting.

"Yeah, I usually cover it up, but-"

"Why?" Sans asked. He still hadn't taken his eyes from my face, and it was making me feel a little embarrassed with the way he was staring.

"Because it's a little strange?" I shrugged. "Most humans don't like or trust things that are unusual or different. So I always covered it up."

"Well, you shouldn't have to," Sans murmured quietly. "Your eyes are beautiful."

I blushed. Again, not the response I had been expecting.

"Monsters aren't gonna care one way or another what color your eyes are, so you don't have to hide them," Sans assured me, and I saw a bit of blue dusting his cheek bones.

I smiled. "Well good, because I'm incredibly lazy and I don't feel like wearing it every day when I'm just in my own home."

"You, lazy?" Sans chuckled. "Never figured that word fit you."

Rae laughed at that. "You'd be surprised, Silvy can be surprisingly lazy when she wants to be." Rae shot me a look and I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee to hide my face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said in response to her look. She laughed and then came over to me.

"So why did you want to surprise me?" I asked, looking around at the ingredients scattered around. Rae padded closer to me and handed me the recipe book in her hands. My stomach churned when I saw it.

"It's Moms! I found it tucked away in one of our closets when we were packing. I wanted to make one of Mom's recipe's to surprise you," she said happily, turning to the ingredients, not seeming to see my expression.

I swallowed, quickly trying to compose myself. I noticed Sans eyes watching me uncomfortably intently.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," I mumbled, putting at much warmth into it as I could. "Mom's famous crepe's, huh?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be something good for everyone, cause you can make whatever kind of crepe you want, ya know?" Rae said, laughing. "I was never as good at cooking as you though, so I guess I should be glad you woke up. Now you can help me."

I laughed and set the book down, brushing aside my uneasiness as we set to work preparing everything. I noticed Sans eyes followed me the entire time.

Everyone woke shortly after we were done preparing and came shuffling into the kitchen.

"What's that amazing smell!" Undyne yelled, bounding excitedly into the room. I saw her eyes light up when she saw the plates of food lined up on the counters. Alphys shuffled in behind her, sleepily rubbing her eyes. They both hopped up into the chairs along the island and looked at the food admiringly.

Undyne gasped when I turned to greet them and she saw my eye. "Wow, sick eyes!" she shouted, and Alphys quietly mumbled, "So cool," and then blushed.

Asgore, Toriel and Frisk were close behind them, and then Papyrus came running in.

"Dear, this all looks delicious," Toriel said, looking at the food admirably. She and Asgore both looked at my face a bit in surprise, but neither commented on my eyes, just smiled at me in normal morning greeting.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE COOKING SMALL HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS AM A MASTER CHEF YOU KNOW!"

"Hey, I'm a pretty good cook too!" Undyne shouted.

I laughed. "Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time. We wanted to surprise everyone with a nice home-cooked first meal."

I saw Papyrus lean close and whisper to Sans, looking my way. Sans whispered something back and Papyrus pulled back, looking relieved.

"It looks delicious," Toriel murmured happily, joining me at the stove where I was cooking. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"Our mother taught us," I answered, the answer slipping out of me naturally. I felt a pang of sadness and swallowed my uneasiness, turning back to my cooking. I noticed Sans eyes flashed to my face when I'd said it, sensing something off in my tone. I winced, dreading the question that would follow.

"Oh, she must be a wonderful cook!" Toriel exclaimed. My heart twisted.

"Yeah, she was," Raes smiled warmly. Her eyes showed only the tiniest hint of sadness. She was recalling our mother with warmth and happiness in the memories.

"Was?" Sans asked gently, picking up on the use of the word. Raes and I exchanged a look.

"Yes, our mother passed when we were kids," I murmured quietly, so Rae wouldn't have to say it. I hadn't turned around, but I heard quiet murmurs fill to room, saying they were sorry for our loss. I pushed away the memories that were trying to surface and turned, completed with my cooking.

"So, these plates here are all different kinds of crepes. Some of them are fruit, others creme and fruit and others are eggs and bacon and the like. There are only a few of each so far, so you can try them and we can cook more of whatever you want," I explained gesturing to the various ingredients ready to be thrown together and quickly cooked.

Everyone crowded around the counters and began trying the food. Dishes were made and everyone moved into the dining room to eat. The rest of the breakfast passed by peacefully.

After everyone had finished, Undyne turned to me excitedly.

"So Vyne, I've been waiting to ask you," Undyne began, clearly holding back her excitement.

"Yeees?" I drawled, urging her to continue.

"To hear Frisk and Papyrus tell it, you're a powerful warrior. Well, I was the leader of the royal guard in the underground, and I would love to see your training first-hand!" She finished, almost shouting in her excitement.

"I'm not exactly a powerful warrior," I tried to laugh it off. "I'm just someone who knows how to handle myself in a fight."

"Exactly!" Undyne shouted. "I want to see just how tough you are!"

I laughed and Rae gave me an amused look and raised an eyebrow.  _Gonna back down from a challenge?_ It seemed to say. I shrugged.

"Alright, I can do that," I shrugged, and Undyne was quick to jump from her seat and grab my arm, and she pulled me out the doors to the back yard of the estate. Everyone else shuffled out to see how this would unfold. They all seemed curious to see how I could fight.

They seated themselves in the chairs on the porch and lawn, watching excitedly.

"Be careful not to hurt her, Undyne," Rae said warningly.

"I'll be careful!" Undyne assured her. And then a blue spear appeared in her hand.

"That doesn't look very careful," I said, eyeing it. "What are you gonna do? Skewer me?"

"Not as long as you dodge!" Undyne shouted.

"Now, hold on a second," Rae said, suddenly worried.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure not to hurt her!" Undyne yelled and flicked the spear. "You ready?"

"Sure, but how exactly does this work? Just dodge spears?"

"Pretty much!"

And without any further inflection, a spear came flying my way. I quickly rolled out of the way, coming to feet quickly as more spears flew towards me. I dodged and weaved my way across the lawn. There were a ridiculous amount of spears flying at me, and I could occasionally see Rae standing on the lawn, chewing her lip nervously as she watched. But thankfully, I had very good reflexes, and dodging was almost easy, if a somewhat strenuous workout.

After about fifteen minutes, Undyne seemingly gave up, and her spears disappeared.

"You're better than I thought you'd be!" she exclaimed. I rest a hand on my hip as I gave her a triumphant smile, glad I had passed her challenge. I was breathing a little heavily and sweat was beginning to make my tank stick between my shoulder blades and chest. My hair was messily falling down my back.

"I was wondering," Undyne murmured. "There's something else I'd like to try, if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure, what?" I answered as she walked towards me.

"Undyne, maybe that's not such a good idea," Asgore suddenly spoke up. I looked to the monsters to see that Asgore had stood.

"Well, I'm not going to hurt her! I'm just curious!" Undyne protested.

"Do what?" I asked, suddenly curious. I ran my fingers through my tangled hair, attempting to smooth it down a bit.

"Well, there's this thing that monsters can do, it kinda involves magic," Undyne explained, poorly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Is it dangerous?" Rae asked, before I could.

"Well, not really, not unless I planned on hurting her," Undyne explained.

"Well, we don't want to freak out our new friends too soon, do we?" Sans asked with an uneasy chuckle. Now I was really getting curious.

"Freak us out? Really?" I asked, laughing. "I doubt you could do that at this point. Just tell us what it is, and I can decide whether I want you to do it or not."

"Well, every monster has the ability to- to, well. . ." Alphys was stumbling over her words and Sans finished talking for her.

"Every monster can remove your soul with magic," Sans finished.

My sister and I looked at each other, surprised.

"How is that not dangerous?" I asked, uncertain.

Frisk came forward and tugged on Undyne's hand, signing something I couldn't quite see up to her.

"Frisk would like to show you," Undyne explained, and stood in front of Frisk.

Before either Rae or I could protest, Undyne reached out a hand and a heart shaped energy was pulled from the center of Frisk's chest. It sparkled in the sunlight like a red jewel. Frisk smiled at Rae and I happily. After a moment, the soul disappeared back into their chest.

"That was your soul?" Rae asked, suddenly curious and excited.

"Mhmm," Frisk said happily, vigorously nodding her head.

"It can give humans strength in battle, but it also leaves them more exposed to attacks if their soul is directly hit," Alphys explained.

"Can you do that to every human?" Rae asked. I could see her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Yes, I can," Undyne answered, shrugging a shoulder casually. "Every monster can. It's sort of a defense thing."

"Sounds cool," I said quietly, intrigued. Rae stepped up beside me and everyone else was beginning to gather around.

"Can you do it to me?" Rae asked excitedly.

"Sure!" Undyne said exuberantly, happy to oblige.

I stood a little nervously as Undyne raised her hand and my sister gasped. A green heart shape was pulled from her chest, and it was beautiful. It looked like how a forest looked from high in the sky, with varying shades of green. It sparkled beautifully.

"Wow," Rae whispered, looking down at her soul with wonder.

"Pretty cool, huh!" Undyne said happily, probably relieved that Rae hadn't freaked out.

"Hell yeah!" Rae said. She reached up a hand and her fingers touched her soul lightly and she let out a squeak of shock.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned, coming to her side.

"I felt that!" she exclaimed.

"Well, you did touch it," I said, laughing at how flustered she seemed.

"Sis, you have to try this!" Rae exclaimed. She raised her eyes to meet mine, and they were shining with childish excitement. I laughed at seeing it.

"Okay, okay," I said and turned around.

"Anyone want to do the honors?" I asked a bit sarcastically to the monsters around us.

"I can do that," Sans said, stepping forward. I was a little shocked. I hadn't expected him to step forward. I saw Mettaton standing off to the side now, watching our group curiously. I didn't think anyone else had noticed him yet.

I stood in front of Sans, waiting. I felt my stomach flutter nervously when he raised his hand. I felt a sudden flush across my skin, and it seemed all my body's energy was pulled to the center of my chest, and then straight out.

I gasped aloud at the sensation, and then stared at my soul in shock. It wasn't a particular color, like Frisk's and Rae's had been. The closest description would be to say that it looked much like a diamond did, sparkling with a variance of colors in the light. But somehow, the way the colors twisted and curled in my soul, make it look like fire. Somehow like diamand fire. It was breathtaking.

And I wasn't the only one with that response.

"Wow, so pretty!" Rae said, rushing over and looking at my soul curiously.

Everyone was looking at my soul admirably, making me feel suddenly flushed to be under such scrutiny.

"It seems your eyes aren't the only unusual thing about you," Toriel murmured softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, every soul we've seen before has a set color to it," Alphys explained. "We've never seen a soul that is so many colors, and yet not at the same time."

"It is very unusual," Asgore rumbled.

"Is it a bad thing?" I asked, uncertainty coloring my tone.

"No, not a bad thing," Alphys was quick to assure me. "Just, unusual."

"Well, I think it's absolutely beautiful," Mettaton suddenly spoke up.

Papyrus greeted him excitedly, rushing over and chatting about breakfast and our souls.

"So is this all you wanted to see? What our souls looked like?" I asked Undyne.

"Not exactly," she said, and a mischievous smile came to her face. "I wanted to do something, just don't freak out, okay?"

"Okay," I laughed and held my arms out, encouraging her to do whatever she was going to do. Another spear appeared in her hand and she swiped at me, this time not trying to hit me with the spear.

I felt a wave of magic hit my body and wash over my soul. My soul's base color changed from, what the closest description would be silver, to emerald green, though all the other sparkling colors remained.

I suddenly couldn't move my legs, and I looked up at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Cool magic trick," I commented. Undyne smiled and tossed me her spear. I caught it lightly in my hands, and I felt the magic thrum between my fingers, making my skin tingle a bit.

I heard Frisk giggle and she grabbed Rae's hand. I saw Rae's soul disappear back into her chest and her, along with everyone else, stepped back.

"Get ready!" Undyne shouted, another spear appearing in her hands. I had a feeling I knew what was coming.

She threw a spear at me, and I deflected it with the one in my hand. And now the real fight began. Spears flew at me from every side, and I deflected them all. After some time I figured out how to untangle my soul from the spell, and I broke free, dodging and weaving, sometimes avoiding her spears, sometimes deflecting them with the one in my hand.

I was a little surprised when I felt a tingling beneath my feet and had to jump to avoid the spears that suddenly appeared beneath me. Seeing the new tactic she used, I continued to dodge and weave, and occasionally used the spear she had given me to propel myself off the ground when the spears came from underneath me.

After another challenging fifteen minutes, Undyne finally gave up, having not been successful in landing a single blow on me.

I felt the spear fade from my hands, and I slumped to the ground, feeling quite proud of myself.

"Geez, girl, how good are you at fighting?!" Undyne shouted, coming over to me. I laid down on my back, and laughed. Everyone was wandering back over as well and I heard the excited tapping of my sisters feet as she ran over to us.

"Technically, I was dodging, not fighting," I said to Undyne.

"That was so cool!" Rae shouted, coming and kneeling over me.

"And you always doubted my prowess," I said jokingly to her.

"Well yeah, I've seen you spar but I've never _really_ seen you try to fight. That was so awesome!"

"Told you self-defense would be useful," I said smugly.

She laughed as she sat down on the grass behind me, pulling my hair into her lap and running her fingers through it.

"Yeah, it sure did huh?" She giggled and I rested my head in her lap as she continued to play with my hair.

"YOU DID WELL HUMAN!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly as he came over. "YOUR FIGHTING SKILLs WERE ALMOST ENOUGH TO MATCH MINE!"

"You are a natural born fighter," Asgore said, complimenting me. Frisk nodded their head enthusiastically and joined Rae and I on the grass, laying her head down on my stomach. I patted her head lightly, running her hair through my fingers. She sighed happily and nuzzled me. The motion tickled and I giggled.

"Hopefully those skills will not be needed in the future," Toriel said quietly. "But, they are good to have, just in case," she said, smiling at me kindly.

"That reminds me! You haven't had training in a while Pap! Wanna join me for some sparring!" Undyne asked excitedly.

"YOU BET I AM! HEY METTATON, YOU WANT TO SEE MY WARRIOR PROWESS IN ACTION!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"You betcha, darling," Mettaton answered and Papyrus blushed. Papyrus and Undyne bounded across the yard together until they were a safe distance away, Mettaton trailing behind to watch them. I saw them begin to spar, spears and magical bones flying across the yard.

Alphys padded over softly and sad down beside us.

"How long have you been training to fight?" she asked tentatively.

Sans sat down beside her, leaning back on his arms as he watched me curiously.

"Most of my life," I answered honestly.

"Really? I thought you started to learn when we were in high school?" Raes asked, looking down at me.

"Well, that's when I started straining with self-defense teachers, before that I kinda taught myself," I shrugged, trying to brush it off.

"Why would you need to fight at such a young age?" Sans asked, eyeing me curiously.

I paused, fumbling for an appropriate answer. Raes looked down at me curiously, as she had never really asked me herself why I learned.

"I just. . .um, wanted to know how to protect myself I guess," I said.

"Protect yourself from what?" Sans asked, and when my eyes flashed to his, I saw he was watching me intently.

"Nothing in particular," I quickly answered, and he narrowed his eyes, as though he suspected I wasn't being honest but didn't want to say anything. "I just wanted to know how to fight, in case I ever needed to. To protect myself, or anyone who couldn't protect themselves."

The answer seemed to satisfy everyone else but Sans continued to look at me with that piercing, looking straight through me kind of gaze. I quickly looked away, not liking how observant he was.

"Hey, Silvyne," Alphys started.

"You don't have to be so formal Alphys, you can call me by my nickname," I laughed lightly.

"Which one?" Sans asked.

"Good point, whichever you want," I replied.

"Well then, S-Silvy," Alphys started again, looking at me. I smiled at her reassuringly. "I was curious, there's been a lot of things I've wanted to learn about humans, but we haven't really had m-much opportunity to do so."

I giggled, seeing where she was going with this. I could feel Rae beginning to braid my hair.

"Feel free to ask us whatever you want," I said in answer to her unvoiced question. She smiled at me, relieved.

"If I ask anything o-offensive feel free not to answer. " I waved her to continue, and then she proceeded to ask us questions about humans. Between my sister and I, we could answer pretty accurately. Both of us had taken many anatomy and biology classes in college, and had retained the knowledge well.

After some time, Papyrus, Mettaton, and Undyne came over to join us on the grass. Toriel and Asgore sat a bit to the side, contentedly watching us all.

After some time of Alphys and Undyne asking questions, Sans spoke up.

"So how are the skeletons you guys got different from us magical skeleton?" Sans asked curiously, poking me in the hip as he asked it.

"Well, for one, our skeletons are not malleable in any way," I responded.

"How so?" Sans asked. I sat up and Frisk adjusted so her head was resting on my legs. My hair was thoroughly and complicatedly braided at this point.

"Well, you guys can make facial expressions with just your bones because your bones seem to be able to adjust the way our skin does," I reached out a hand placed my head on his forehead between his eyes. He furrowed his brow and I felt the bone shift under my hand. It was certainly more firm than human skin, but movable non the less.

I noticed with a bit of surprise how soft and warm his bones were, and there was a steady thrumming under my fingers that was similar to the way a human's heart beat in their chest, but with a more even thrumming, which I assumed to be their magic.

I withdrew my hand, being casual about it as Raes continued to talk for me, talking about the many other differences between humans and skeletons, and then proceeding to ask questions herself about the way the skeletons functioned. I was grateful for her curiosity, as I wouldn't have wanted to ask for fear of coming off as rude.

"So, how do skeleton's eat without stomachs?"

"I'm going to assume it's going to be the same as asking pretty much anything else about how they function, _magic_ ," I said, showing jazz hands as I said the word.

"Pretty much," Sans chuckled, and then stuck out his tongue at us. My eye brows lifted seeing it. It was a bright, electric blue.

"Wow, who'd have figured a skeleton had a tongue," Rae said. "Cool."

Sans chuckled at the response he got. His eyes flashed to me and I looked away, avoiding his gaze. I suddenly felt awkward? Embarrassed? Uncomfortable? None of those quite fit, but for some reason I didn't want to meet his eyes right at the moment, and instead looked down at Frisk as I continued to run my fingers through her hair.

We chatted the afternoon away lazily, enjoying the warm sunlight and gentle breeze.

As the afternoon waned, everyone began to go their seperate ways. Asgore and Toriel were leaving to meet with some human diplomats, Alphys wanted to return to her new designated lab to continue with some of her research, Papyrus asked if he could read through the cook books my sister and I had collected and asked if one of us would show him how to make recipees like the one we made this morning. Rae happily agreed and they went into the kitchen to start their lessons.

Mettaton wandered to do. . . whatever it is that Mettaton did in his free time, and Frisk bounded away to explore the new premises. I was left on the grass alone, staring up at the clouds that occassionally passed by over head. I was feeling particularly lazy in the warm sunlight, and was reluctant to move from my comfortable spot.

After a bit of time, I heard footsteps approaching me. Somehow I knew who it was even before I turned. Sans sat down beside me again.

"So, Frisk warned me about Papyrus and Undyne's destructive cooking. How is our new kitchen faring?" I asked as he sat down.

"So far Rae is doin' a pretty good job keeping things under control," Sans answered. I noticed his voice sounded more. . . solemn than usual. I sat up slowly, leaning back on my arms and crossing my legs.

I expected Sans to say something further, but he didn't. We sat in a comfortable silence for quite a while before I heard a shout from inside the house. It was Undyne, and she was waving a dvd case in her hand. I remembered that I'd promised to watch anime with her and Alphys when we got settled in, and I climbed to my feet.

Sans joined me and we went back inside, making our way to the sitting room. My sister was bundled up on the couch in a giant blanket, and she opened it as I walked into the room. I joined her in her blanket and we all sat and watched anime for the rest of the night, eating junk food and chatting happily away.

Everything was peaceful, and nicer than it had been in a very long time. This house was already beginning to feel like a home, and these monsters were very quickly beginning to feel like a family. Two things I hadn't had in a very long time.

I was happy. We were happy. We were safe. And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly at peace.


	5. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time passes, there are some things that can't be hidden. New things are discovered about the new family Silvy has found herself with, and a few things are revealed about Silvy herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There are depictions of violence ahead. Depression, anxiety, and self harm are talked about in this chapter. Shit gets serious, and things get touchy.

It was two weeks after we had settled into our new home when I came awake with a start. I didn't know what had woken me, but I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I climbed out of bed and made my way into the hall, listening for any disturbances. I didn't like when I got these feelings in my gut. I had learned a long time ago to trust them.

I heard quiet whispering from down the hall and made my way towards the noises. A ways down the hall, in front of Frisk's room, Sans and Toriel were talking quietly in the hallway, and I heard crying coming from Frisk's room.

I rushed over to the two of them, and they turned to me with surprise.

"We didn't mean to wake you dear," Toriel murmured quietly.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. I glanced at Frisk's door worriedly.

"The kiddo's alright," Sans answered and I gave him a skeptical look. He sighed, and gave me a more honest answer. "Frisk sometimes has nightmares. The kiddo always bounces back from it though."

"Frisk was having nightmares and they're in there alone?" I asked with some surprise. Toriel and Sans both gestured for me to lower my voice.

"Frisk does not like to be bothered during times like these," Toriel said sadly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The kiddo never tells us what they have nightmares about, and when we try to pry they panic and only start to freak out more."

A sudden thought occurred to me. Frisk had told me her story of when she went through the underground, saving the monsters, but had not mentioned anything from before that time. I had found it odd, but hadn't asked. I did now.

"Do you guys know where Frisk's family is?" I asked quietly, so Frisk couldn't overhear.

"No, I'm afraid we don't," Toriel answered quietly.

"Frisk refuses to tell us anything about her life before she fell into the underground, and when we try to ask anything, like if she has family to return to or anyone lookin' for her, she panics. If we try to press her too hard she'll refuse to talk to us for days, sometimes weeks," Sans grumbled unhappily.

A sudden realization occurred to me. The way Frisk was adamant that they not know, getting angry when they pried, the way she always wore large baggy sweaters even when it was warm outside. A creeping suspicion was beginning to make my stomach twist. It all seemed. . . too familiar.

"I'm going to try to talk to her," I said quietly, and moved to her door. Sans put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"That's not such a good idea," he said quietly. "We don't want Frisk to panic more."

"We have tried to comfort her before, but right now she especially doesn't want us in there, we don't want to make her more upset," Toriel agreed.

I recalled how Frisk must be feeling right now, surrounded by people she didn't think she could trust, who she didn't think would understand. They were her family, yes, and while she could trust them with her life, she wasn't so sure if she could trust them with her secrets. I understood.

"Just trust me, please. I think I know how to help her," I said imploringly.

Sans must have seen how determined I was and he sighed, releasing my arm.

"Alright, but if you make the kiddo upset, that's on you," he mumbled.

"I know," I replied with a soft smile, before opening her door and quietly slipping inside.

I could hear Frisk's cries of distress. She was having a full blown panic attack right now, I could tell by how she sounded. I quietly made my way across the dark room, and sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to get too close to her, and cause her to panic more. She was like a frightened animal, hurt and distrustful. I had to be careful.

"Frisk," I said softly. I felt her go still.

"Go away," she mumbled. I knew Frisk could talk, but she rarely did. The fact that she had now only unnerved me more.

"Frisk, I know. I know you want to be alone, and I know why," I said quietly.

"You don't know anything! Get out!" she yelled at me, her voice cracking.

She'd raised her head to look at me, and I could see the panic in her eyes. I sighed softly and I could feel my heart twisting in pain for this child. I could see it on her face, that fear. That fear that something was going to hurt her. That something was going to take her away from the safeness and happiness that she had found. That desperate heartbreaking pain.

"Frisk," my voice cracked as I said her name, and I sat forward, wrapping her in a tight hug and pulling her into my lap. She struggled a bit, but gave up when I refused to release her. "I know, Frisk. I know."

"You don't know anything," she said angrily, sobbing into my chest.

She was beginning to hyperventilate and her body was trembling. I knew how these panic attacks felt and I quickly put my forehead to hers, holding my arms around her shaking body.

"Frisk, breathe okay, breathe with me," I said, taking a deep slow breath. She struggled in my arms, trying to push me away. "Frisk," I said firmly. I grabbed her hands in mine, uncurling her tightly clenched fingers. She was hurting herself. I pulled her hands and wrapped them around my sides.

"If you need to hold onto anything, you hold onto me, understand? Hold onto me as tightly as you need to." I felt her fingers dig into the flesh of my hips, desperately clinging to me.

I placed my hands on her back and began rubbing circles in her back as her breathing hitched. "Now, breathe with me." I took another deep breath and I felt her suck in a trembling lungful of air. "Again. Just keep breathing." I continued to take deep breaths, and she took them with me, hers becoming gradually more even as we continued to breathe. Her fingers slowly eased their grip and her breathing was coming under control.

I grabbed her hands in one of mine, rubbing comforting circles into her back with another. I lifted her hands and placed them on my chest, right over my heart.

"Just feel," I said quietly. She pressed her fingers against my chest, feeling my heart beat beneath her fingers while I continued to rub her back and run my fingers through her hair. Her breathing was almost completely normal. Slowly, unsure, she leaned into me, placing her head over my heart, listening. I hugged her to me, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Yes, I do," I said quietly, my voice breaking, as I answered her previous statement. I was beginning to cry, the tears leaving silent tracks down my cheeks. "I know what it feels like to feel so unsafe, to feel so much pain. But I promise you Frisk, I am going to keep you safe. Whoever hurt you, is never going to hurt you again. I promise you that Frisk."

She went still in my arms, very suddenly. "You can't promise me that," she whispered, her voice full of fear.

"Yes, I can," I promised. Tears were beginning to drip from my chin, and my throat felt tight. "I kept my sister safe our entire lives. I will do the same for you. No one is ever going to take you away from us, no one is going to come for you. No one is going to hurt you ever again. I won't let them."

"How. . . how did you know?" Frisk asked, her voice breaking on a sob. She leaned back to look at my face. She reached out a hand and placed it on my cheek, looking into my eyes. "You. . . you got away too?" she asked so quietly I almost didn't hear her, the words disbelieving. She seemed to see something in my eyes, and an unspoken understanding passed between us as our eyes held.

She sobbed again and buried her face in the crook of my neck, wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her tight to my chest as her sobs wracked her.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," I comforted her through my own tears. "You're okay. You're going to be okay."

"What if they come for me?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch with it's fear. "What if I lose this family? What if they take me back?"

"They won't," I said, anger coloring my voice. "I won't let anyone take you away Frisk. I will keep you safe, I promise you." I tightened my arms around her protectively, and her shaking arms tightened their grip. "I will stop anyone who comes anywhere near you. You see anyone you're afraid of, you come straight to me, and I will deal with them. I will never let anyone take you away from us. I will always keep you safe."

"You promise?" she hiccuped.

"I promise," I answered fiercely. I held her for so long, I lost track of time. Eventually our tears stopped, and she pulled back a little.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked quietly.

"I will," I assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead and leaning my forehead against hers. "I always will. If you ever need me Frisk, you just come to me. You wake me up and I will make the nightmares better. I will keep you safe while you sleep, whenever you need me to."

I lowered her between the blankets, and crawled in beside her. She hugged me and laid her head down on my chest. I ran my fingers softly through her hair, and then began to sing a lullaby. It was one from my own childhood. Our mother hand sung it to Rae and I when we were small, too small for Rae to remember, but I had sung it to her in the later years of our childhood.

The song seemed to be working, and Frisk settled into me, falling fast asleep within a matter of minutes. Her breathing was even and peaceful. I lay in the darkness, unwilling to sleep. After the events of tonight, I was afraid to close my eyes. I knew I wouldn't like what I saw.

I saw the door crack open after a short while, and two concerned faces peer in. I raised a finger to my lips, and they seemed to understand. They closed the door softly, and I heard footsteps padding away down the hall.

~~~

I must have fallen asleep at some point, and just as I feared my sleep was plagued with nightmares.

I came awake with a jerk, my heart pounding and my hands shaking, and _**his**_ voice echoing in my head.

Frisk raised her head, and seeing my panic, quickly raised a hand to my face in concern, her eyebrows drawing together. I quickly pushed the nightmare away, forcing my body to calm.

"I'm okay," I assured Frisk, lifting her hand and placing a kiss on it. She smiled, but I could still see the worry in her eyes. I sat up and gave her a warm smile. The last thing she needed was to be worrying about me. "How about some breakfast, kiddo?" I asked with a smile. Right at that moment, Frisk's stomach grumbled and I laughed. She smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Good," I said and climbed out of bed. I wrapped her in a blanket burrito and lifted her in my arms. She giggled as she squirmed, but she was trapped. I covered her face in kisses as she laughed and struggled and then ran down the hall with her in my arms.

"Wanna have some fun?" I asked, giving her a mischievous smile. She giggled and nodded. Her eyes were beginning to get their sparkle back. I winked at her and then hopped up on the side railing of the stairs, sliding down with her in my arms.

She laughed happily as we landed at the bottom, and I rushed her to the kitchen, sliding across the floor in my socks, and she erupted in giggles.

"What do we have for breakfast this morning? I have a Frisk here in desperate need of some good food," I flourished, spinning Frisk around, much to her amusement.

I noticed everyone had already gathered in the kitchen, and Toriel and Rae were at the stove, cooking. I smelled bacon and waffles.

Sans and Toriel looked at us in disbelief, seeing Frisk laughing.

"We've got some delicious blueberry cheesecake waffles with honey, turkey bacon, and home-made hot chocolate with marshmallows," Rae explained.

"How does that sound to you kiddo? Seem acceptable?" I asked Frisk. She nodded happily and I placed her on one of the chairs, burrito and all , and plopped down beside her.

Sans was my other side and he gave me a questioning look. I just shook my head at him and turned to Frisk, watching her struggle to get free of her cocoon.

"TINY HUMAN, WHY ARE YOU ALL WRAPPED UP LIKE THAT?" Papyrus asked, laughing as Frisk struggled.

"I figured Frisk might like to be a burrito this morning, makes transporting her easier," I said with a laugh, putting my hand on Frisk's back so she didn't fall from her seat as she struggled.

"Come on, Frisk, you can't let a blanket defeat you!" Undyne encouraged exuberantly.

Frisk managed to free herself after a bit of struggle, and a hot cup of cocoa was placed in front of her, with marshmallows, a ridiculous amount of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Frisk looked at it in giddy happiness, her eyes sparkling and she quickly made a dent in the whipped cream, effectively getting in on her cheeks and nose.

"You gotta be careful how you eat those things, Frisk," I said, laughing. "All that whipped cream, and we might want to eat you up." I said, leaning forward and licking the whipped cream from her nose. She giggled and pushed at me, blushing.

Waffles, turkey bacon, and hot chocolate were passed around and we all dug in happily. The morning was filled with warm conversation and Frisk grabbed my hand tightly in hers under the table, squeezing my fingers. I gave her warm smiles and lots of hugs all through the morning.

Eventually, Mettaton whisked Frisk away, and they disappeared down the hall, giggling. Everyone was beginning to disperse, and I decided to go out for a morning run, explore the forest, clear my mind from the dreams that overcome me during the night.

I dressed in some casual running pants and a tank, slipping my headphones into my ears and I left with a wave to Rae, who was chatting away happily with Papyrus in the kitchen.

I returned a short time later, and went straight to our little home gym. Undyne was usually in here, but she wasn't at the moment, though I could see signs of her passing through.

I proceeded with a few of my other workouts, stretched and laid back happily on the mats, listening to my music while my pounding heart slowed.

The rest of the day passed in relative peace. Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, Frisk, Raes and I decided it was board game time, though Sans and Alphys sat out and observed most of the time. We played board games for several hours and then decided to build a giant blanket fort in the middle of the living room. We turned the entire space into a giant blanket castle, and spent the rest of the night snuggled in there, watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, which apparently they had never seen. Everyone loved it, Alphys and Undyne most of all.

Everyone fell asleep, all heaped in after some time and I decided to step outside for some air, unable, or more unwilling, to go to sleep. I didn't want a repeat of the night before.

I walked out onto the lawn, looking up at the night sky, breathing in the cool air. The gentle night breeze brushed against my skin and the stars twinkled and danced in the sky. I lay down on the grass, spreading my arms to the sides, feeling the earth beneath my body, the air on my skin, and the endless sky above me. All the way out here, there was no light pollution and the sky was beautiful.

I was so enraptured with the view that I didn't hear the quiet footsteps approaching me until his looming figure stood over me, blotting out my view of the stars.

"Havin' fun down there?" Sans asked, smiling down at me where I lay. He stood over me casually, hands in the pockets of his blue hoodie. I gave him a smile of confirmation and he chuckled, lowering himself onto the grass beside me, putting his knees up and leaning back on his arms.

"So, how did you manage to get through to the kid?" Sans asked, looking down at me. I had been expecting him to ask at some point, so I don't know why the sudden question caught me off guard. I quickly sat up and let my hair fall over my shoulder, creating a curtain between us so he couldn't see my face.

"No one has ever managed to get Frisk to fall asleep again after a nightmare, let alone let anyone sleep with her. Or been able to get her out of her room the next day, let alone bringing her downstairs in a fit of giggles. What did you say to her?"

I didn't raise my head. "I just. . . knew how to help. I know how to help someone through a panic attack. I knew what she needed to hear."

"Yeah, I know that stuff too, but she doesn't always let me help her. Last night was especially bad. We haven't seen her that bad in a long time. She panicked and refused to let Tori or I touch her, let alone talk to her. And you somehow managed to make it all better. If you think I'm just gonna let it go at that without asking questions, you're gonna be disappointed."

I shrugged my shoulders. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't raise my head to look at him. I didn't like how observant he was, how he always seemed to know when I was hiding something. I didn't want to risk him seeing what I knew he would see on my face.

"I just knew how to get through to her. I made sure she understood she could trust me."

"We're her family. And we've known her for a lot longer than you have. Not that she can't trust you, but she knows she can trust us too."

"There's a difference between being able to trust someone with your life, and being able to trust them with your deepest secrets," I whispered quietly. I was still hiding my face, so I didn't see Sans reach over until his hand was on my chin, raising my face to look at him.

"And what did you say to make her trust you?" His eyes were exploring my face, looking deep into my eyes, reading everything he could. I tried to keep my face as blank as possible.

"She trusted me because she knows that I understand."

"And we wouldn't?" he asked, obviously a little hurt.

I swallowed and tried to shake my head, which was almost impossible with my chin trapped between his fingers. "There's a difference between sympathizing and empathizing."

The lights in his eyes traveled my face, and I swore I saw a flicker of understanding in them. He opened his mouth to ask, and I could guess pretty well what the question would be before he could speak it.

I raised a hand and placed it over his mouth, feeling his firm bone mouth against my fingers. He closed his mouth and he pursed his "lips", watching me.

"Please don't ask," I whispered. "And don't ask Frisk. Pushing her for answers will only make it worse. She will tell you when she's ready."

He sighed heavily and sat back. Chin released, I lowered my eyes again. I knew I had said too much, but I hadn't known what else to say to dissuade his fears.

"Well, regardless of how you did it, thank you," Sans suddenly said, breaking the uneasy silence.

"Of course," I murmured quietly, eager to put any lingering questions behind us. "I will always be there for her. Whenever she needs me."

"Good. Because I think Frisk really does need you."

We talked for a few hours, about nothing, everything. Just talking, enjoying each others company. Finally, I was beginning to feel sleepy.

"You had a late night last night. You should probably get some sleep," Sans said, smiling over at me as my eyes dropped. I gave him a sleepy smile and nodded my head in agreement. He stood and offered his hand to me. I grabbed it and he pulled me to my feet.

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, Vy," Sans said quietly. And although the words had been well-intentioned and harmless, I felt my blood freeze in my veins when that nickname slipped between his teeth. The shock of it hit me like a blow to the chest, and I felt like I couldn't breathe, my heart constricting painfully as I was suddenly thrown into the past. And suddenly _that_ voice was echoing in my ears and my heartbeat was pounding through me. My little panic attack lasted only a few seconds before I quite literally ripped my fingers from his grasp.

"Don't call me that," I hissed through my teeth, the words coming out cold and harsh and panicked. I saw the shock on his face at my sudden reaction. Seeing his surprise, and him fumbling for an apology I realized what I had done, and I breathed in, forcing the rising panic down painfully. "Please," I said a little more softly.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you didn't like to be called that," he seemed to be stumbling over his words, eyes grazing over my face, hands fumbling in the air as though he weren't sure whether to reach out to me, or keep his distance, as though I were a cornered animal.

I swallowed painfully, forcing my voice and body to relax, even as my mind was in turmoil. It had been a long time since I had to force a panic attack down like this, but I quickly fell back into the habit, forcing it down and plastering a smile on my face.

"Sorry," I said with a forced breathy laugh. "I didn't mean to startle you like that. I just. . . " I paused, unsure how to explain myself. "No one's called me that in a long time. I prefer to keep it that way."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," he rushed to apologize again, not seeming to believe my forced calm as his hands remained in the air between us. I could see him fighting between wanting to comfort me, and give me my space after the sudden incident, not wanting to make me panic again.

"It's okay," I assured him, widening my smile. I reached out my hands and put them over his, squeezing his hands between mine. I was once again surprised by how smooth and silky his bones felt beneath my fingers and it momentarily distracted me from the panic attack fighting to dig it's roots into me. I gave him a more sincere smile and I withdrew my hands.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled again.

I laughed and threw an arm around his ribs, "It's okay," I said, laughing light-heartedly, and I squeezed him in a side hug. "You didn't know. Let's just forget it happened, and go inside and get some sleep, okay? I'm exhausted and you can't tell me you aren't too."

He chuckled, a little forcefully, though he seems to have relaxed a bit, and let me drag him back into the house.

I made some excuse to Sans, telling him I'd be back in a bit and not to wait up, and quickly made my way upstairs to my room, shutting the door behind myself. I could feel it coming, and I quickly made my way to my bathroom, closing and locking the door.

The panic attack I'd been trying to push down suddenly hit with the force of a mountain. I felt the weight of it pressing on my chest, squeezing my ribs. My heart tightened painfully in my chest, beating rapidly as the sudden panic and following adrenaline rushed through my veins. My lungs were burning and it felt like I couldn't get in a breath. I could faintly hear my labored breathing. I was aware I was beginning to hyperventilate.

My chest twisted painfully, the pain radiated through my limbs right from my center, wracking through my body in steady pulses. I was dimly aware of my nails digging into my palms, I could faintly feel the blood as it dripped down my fingers, but I couldn't feel the pain.

My vision swam and blurred, and I could feel the darkness as it crept around the edges of my vision, my panic rising.

 _You are **nothing**_ , the darkness in me whispered. It was a voice I had not heard in a long time. One I had fought to silence. It whispered through me now, sometimes speaking in my voice, other times speaking in _that_ voice.

_You are less than nothing. You are **pathetic,** and **disgusting. Look at yourself.** You are **so weak.**_

_Shut up!_ I screamed internally, attempting to silence the infernal voice, the darkness inside myself. It was my depression, my anxiety, my fears, my darkness incarnate.

_You are nothing to them, **nothing**. **You think they care about you?** Any of them? Ha! Don't fool yourself. They don't know you, **they don't know what you've done.**_

**_Shut up!_**   ** _Shut up! Shut up!_** I screamed at myself, not even aware that a pained moan had escaped my lips, or that I had collapsed painfully to my knees, clutching my head between my hands.

My entire body was radiating with pain now, my hands shook uncontrollably, and I couldn't feel anything. It was like my skin was numb. But inside. Inside my body twisted in pain, my muscles felt like they were twisting and tearing, as though my whole body was at war with itself. I squeezed my eyes shut, so that the darkness around the edges of my vision couldn't panic me further.

The images rose up in my mind, unbidden. I tried desperately to push them away as a sob escaped me. I heard the noise and clamped a bleeding hand over my lips, stifling any further sounds. I hated hearing my own sobs, I hated how weak I sounded.

I swore I could feel those hands against my skin, groping, pressing, making me feel vile in my own skin. My stomach twisted nauseously. I could smell it again, the smell of alcohol and blood pressing against my senses, making me gag. I heard that grating laugh in my ears, and I wasn't even aware I'd let out a little panicked scream.

_ What do you think they would say, if they knew what you have done? If they knew how **disgusting** you truly are. **How vile.** You will never be able to escape what you've done. Those hands that tainted you, those scars that mar you. **No one will ever want a body so defiled. No one will love a body so scarred and ugly.** _

My eyes snapped open and I drew in a ragged breath. My lungs burned painfully and I realized I hadn't drew in a breath in some time. I gripped my arms tight, digging my nails into the skin. The skin broke, but I didn't feel it.

 _No,_ I thought, panicking. _Not again. No, please, no._ I was desperate. The pain was wracking my body, but my skin was so numb. I had to feel something, had to snap myself out of it. I had to make myself feel something. Anything.

_You have to punish yourself for everything you've done. You have to pay for it._

My eyes snapped up and settled on the little pocket knife resting on the counter. It became the only thing I could see as my vision tunneled and I crawled over to it, grasping it between my trembling fingers. I didn't even think twice.

I was only dimly aware of my own motions as I was trapped in my head. Listening to that infernal voice, that infernal laugh, feeling all those invisible hands, the pain twisting in my chest, my heart pounding in my ears, my lungs burning as I attempted to breathe, my lungs straining against my constricted chest.

The pool was all around me, and my ears were ringing. It wasn't working. I couldn't feel. I looked down and saw my forearms covered in bleeding slashes. The blood was beginning to pool on the floor and I struggled to breathe through my rising panic.

A sudden sharp knock on the door tore me to my senses. A painfully familiar voice washed through the door, caressing my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms. Dread made my stomach twist painfully.

"Silvy, are you alright?" Sans asked, his voiced strained. The voice slammed me back into my body, and I felt it, all the pain hitting me at once, in addition to the pain already tearing my insides apart.

I panicked, looking down at the blood on the floor, on my arms. A panic attack I could have pushed away, hid, but not this. _Not this._ I couldn't hide this.

Another sharp knock. "Silvy?" His voice was insistent.

I scrambled, pulling a towel down and attempting to clean up the blood.

Maybe I could clean it up, hide my arms, he doesn't have to know.

Another shock of pain twisted my gut and I doubled over, hugging myself. _Gods no,_ I thought. _He can't see me like this. Not like this._ I prayed he would go away.

Another sharp knock. I could hear the knob rattle as he attempted to turn it, none to gently. "Silvy, open this door. Now." His voice was firm, panicked. I couldn't respond. My throat was tightening painfully, I could barely pull in a breath, let alone get words out. "Silvy, I will break down this door if I have to."

I couldn't move. I fought and struggled but my muscles wouldn't respond to me anymore.

I heard a crack as the door was pushed inwards, banging against the bathroom wall, surrounded in a blue glow. My heart stopped. _No. No no no. This can't be happening._

I raised my eyes and sure enough Sans was there. His expression was angry as he stood in the doorway, his fingers and left eye glowing with magic.

When he saw my crumbled form on the floor his face immediately fell, his mouth falling open. If a skeleton could have paled any further, he would have.

"Silvy!" his voice hitched and he rushed towards me. I heard the sound of his knees hitting the marble floor as he knelt in front of me. His hands wrapped around mine, where they were tightly holding my arms. His eyes flicked to the blood pooled on the floor, the unsuccessful towel drenched in it, before settling on my arms.

I could feel myself shaking, I couldn't breath. His hands gripped mine tightly, forcing my fingers to release my arms as he pulled them out. He gasped, the sound whistling through his teeth as he saw the gashes on my forearms.

"Silvy," he hissed, his voice pained.

"I'm sorry," I gasped, the air suddenly returning to my lungs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I gasped between words, trying to force the air into my constricted lungs as I sobbed. I hadn't noticed until now that my face was soaked in tears.

Sans reached his arms around my body, pulling me into his lap. I gasped and shook, my arms limp in my lap. He held me tight to his rib cage and I swore I could feel him shaking.

I felt magic envelope me, I felt it rush through my limbs, spreading through every part of me, warm and electric. I didn't realize until that moment how freezing I had been. My arms tingled, but no longer stung.

The magic had eased my nerves somewhat, but the panic attack was still there, creeping in. I realized I was in Sans' arms, and he was covered in my blood. Sans was here, but that only made my panic rise.

_He saw me like that._

_**He saw how weak you are. How disgusting you are.** Can you imagine how much he must pity you right now? How **disgusted** he is with you? How **pathetic** you must look to him now. _

I suddenly couldn't breath again. I gasped and shook, the pain in my chest creeping back.

I saw Sans' face suddenly in my vision. His hands were firmly under my jaw, forcing me to look at him. His expression was firm.

"Silvy!" he said again, more insistently. I realized he had been saying my name. Seeing my vision focus on him I felt his rib cage rise under my hands. "Breathe." He demanded. His eyes locked with mine and I felt that rush of panic. His hands tightened on my chin when I tried to look away, locking my eyes with his. "Breathe." He commanded again. I felt his chest rise again under my hands. I focued on it, and forced a shaking breath through my raw throat. The process repeated, each breath getting easier.

His hands slipped from my chin, and my face automatically fell, my eyes slipping into my lap.

"Hey, none of that," Sans growled quietly, lifting my face again. "You keep your eyes right here." His voice left no room for argument. He kept his eyes on mine, his bony fingers rubbing soothing circles on my lower back as I forced my breath to even. Breathe in. Breathe out. Rise and fall. Rise and fall.

My panic was slowly subsiding. Tears tracked silently down my cheeks now. After several minutes of even breathing, Sans raised one hand, resting it on my cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. I opened my mouth to speak, when he interrupted me. "And don't you dare just say I'm fine." My mouth snapped shut. That had been exactly what I was going to say. "Don't lie to me." His voice was stern, but his expression was warm and gentle.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. Sans didn't release me, and I could feel his eyes on my face. I assessed myself. My arms no longer hurt. At all. I had a throbbing head ache, but other than that I felt unscathed.

My body felt like a dead weight, my muscles were exhausted. I opened my eyes slowly and met Sans' eyes.

"I think I'm okay," I said quietly. My voice cracked, it was still strained from my ordeal. "It's over. My panic attack is over." I almost cried with relief. His expression softened and he let out a sigh of relief. He pulled me close to his chest, wrapping his arms around my body. His skull was pressed against my hair. His body was shaking slightly and he took a deep, trembling breath.

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again," he said, voice cracking with emotion.

I desperately clung to him as the tears and panic faded. "Stay with me. Please," I choked out, my fingers desperately twisting in the fabric of his soft hoodie.

"I'm not going anywhere," Sans assured me with as much fierceness as I'd shown to Frisk.

"Promise?" I asked quietly. I was beginning to feel drained.

"I promise. I will be here for as long as you need me. Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, shit got serious. Things will only get more serious as more things are revealed about Silvy. Also, anything underlined and italicized is basically depression itself speaking, and anything bold in those sentences is a certain other voice talking to her. That will all be revealed in time. Thank you for reading, and feedback is welcome. :3


	6. Unwinding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some chill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late in posting, works been a bitch. And sorry for the sort of cliffhanger. But here it is, and I hope you like it. Feedback is welcome, enjoy precious readers :3

We sat on that marble floor for a long time. Sans just held me in his arms as my trembling faded and my tears dried. As we sat there, I slowly became more coherent, and I was able to fully push away that darkness, that weakness.

 _I am not weak,_  I firmly told myself. As the time slowly slipped past, my grip on Sans eased. I sighed as a sudden thought occurred to me.

I pulled one of my arms from around him and turned my head to look at my forearm. The cuts had healed but there were ugly red scars all along my skin. My heart twisted and my stomach clenched painfully. It had been a long time since I had to cover up any scars. Knowing I would have to again made my stomach twist familiarly, and I sighed heavily.

Sans' arms loosened and he leaned back, looking at me. There was so much concern on his face, I felt guilt wash over me.

I gave him a small smile. "I'm okay now." My voice was still a bit strained and I saw the doubt in his eyes. His brows drew together and he opened his mouth to say something.

"I'm okay," I said again, insistently, trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince him. "I promise. I'm used to this by now. You'll be surprised to discover I bounce back pretty quickly." I said with a small smile and a bit of joking tone to my voice.

He squeezed my sides, where his hands still held me. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

"Yes, I just need a nice hot shower, and I need to clean up this mess," I said, sighing as I looked at the room apprehensively.

"You don't have to worry about that," Sans was quick to say. "You just get cleaned up, relax. I'll deal with this."

"I can't let you do that," I protested strongly. "It's my mess, I'll deal with it. Besides I don't feel comfortable making someone else clean up my blood from the floor of my bathroom. I can handle it."

"I'm not letting you handle it," Sans said, shaking his head. I opened my mouth to protest again but before I could, I felt the air around my body compress, and the world seemed to fall away around us. For just a second we were floating in a dark space, and magic shot across my skin. When the world appeared again, we were kneeling on the floor of Sans' bathroom and my skin tingled, feeling ultra sensitive.

"How did you-"

"Magic," he answered before I could finish speaking. I huffed. Of course it was magic. It was always magic.

His arms released me, sliding me off his lap and onto the floor.

"You can use my shower, and I will clean up the mess," he explained, standing. I moved to follow him when I felt softer magic wrap around my wrist, preventing me from standing. "I'm not letting you leave until you do."

I sighed and pouted at him. He gave me a warm smile, and then leaned down, placing a hand softly on my cheek. The sudden contact made me jump, as my skin was still sensitive from the magic of his teleporting trick.

"Just don't worry about it, Silvy. I'll take care of it. You relax, take as long as you need," and with a wink he vanished.

"Sans!" I called, exasperated. I stood slowly, my legs shaking underneath me. I suddenly realized how exhausted I was. I could barely stand my muscles were so tired. I shuffled to the door and put my hand on it, and just as I suspected, I felt magic tingle under my fingers. I couldn't escape, even if I wanted to. I sighed and just decided to go with it. I didn't have the energy to refuse, anyway.

I hesitantly removed my blood soaked clothes, unsure if he would appear again or not. I placed them on the counter, not wanting to get blood on his floor, and stepped into the shower, pulling the dark blue curtain shut and letting the hot water wash over my skin, washing away the blood.

The water felt marvelous on my tired muscles, and I sighed in relief as the water washed my skin clean, washing away the touches I had felt. I cleaned myself slowly, enjoying the heat.

Some time passed and I heard a quiet knock at the door.

"Yes?" I called, loudly enough to be heard over the running water.

"It's me," Sans called back, voice sounding muffled through the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," I called back. I heard the door open, and peeked at him around the curtain. In his hand there was a big fluffy towel, and a handful of pajamas.

"I grabbed you some clean clothes," he said, setting them down on the counter, and picking up my bloodied ones. He wiped the counter with a cloth and shoved my clothes into a plastic bag. He left the room, and came back shortly after.

"All evidence has been disposed of," he said, giving me a soft smile. "You don't have to worry about it."

"Thank you," I murmured. "Did. . . anyone else wake up?" I asked quietly, fearful of the answer.

"No, everyone's still asleep, no one else heard anything," he said reassuringly, seeing my panic.

I sighed in relief, the tension leaving me. _Thank gods,_ I thought. I didn't know how I would've explained myself to anyone else. It was bad enough that Sans knew, not that I wasn't grateful for what he was doing for me, but no one in my life had ever known about my panic attacks, and it made me uneasy enough as it was that Sans knew. I didn't know how to deal with other people knowing.

After a few more minutes of showering, I turned off the water, peeking around the curtain. Sans, seeing that I was done, blushed and excused himself, closing the door softly as he left.

I climbed out and wrapped myself in the big, fluffy towel, sighing comfortably as I leaned against the counter, enjoying the warmth against my skin. After a few moments I forced myself to move, drying myself and quickly dressing in the clothes, trying not to think about Sans going through my drawers looking for the ones he had pulled out, at least grateful he had grabbed a more covering pair of under garments.

I slipped on my fluffy grey sweats and soft baby blue sweater he had grabbed. Finished, I quietly opened the door and stepped out of his bathroom. I took a moment to look around his room, seeing what it looked like for the first time. It was almost the complete opposite of my room. Barely furnished with simple black, blue and grey colors with only a few sparse books and several bottles of ketchup on the night stand being the only things to give away anything about him. It was completely different from my room, which was overloaded with colorful paintings, pictures of my favorite shows and games, and filled to the brim with books, nick nacks and trinkets of all sorts.

Sans was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for me. He stood as soon as I emerged, relief on his face.

"Feelin' better?" he asked, walking over to me. I smiled up at him and nodded. "Let's get you to bed then," he chuckled, seeing how exhausted I looked. My eyes were beginning to droop, and were trying to close without my consent, my body swaying tiredly. I nodded in agreement and went for the door.

Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, the world tilted and I felt my body lifted. I found myself cradled in Sans' arms as he walked towards the door.

"That's not necessary," I complained, wriggling in his arms. He didn't release me, just looked down at me with an amused smile.

"You're so exhausted, you can barely walk."

"I am perfectly capable of walking, thank you very much," I replied, sounding offended. He chuckled and just continued down the hall towards my room.

The door swung open, seemingly of it's own accord, and the warmth of my room immediately caressed my skin. I saw that a fire had been started in my fire place, and the only lights on in my room were the white Christmas lights twined around my bed.

He quietly carried me over and placed me between the sheets, tucking me in.

"Still not necessary," I complained, too exhausted to do anything but pout as I settled comfortably between the warm sheets. My body still felt somewhat chilled, despite the fact that I knew the house wasn't cold, it was still the end of summer, and the house should have already been warm. I chalked it up to blood loss. He had healed my wounds, but I would still need time to recover from them.

"I know, but I want to help," he said quietly, seriously. All I could do was nod sleepily. He gently pat my head, and then stood, ready to walk out of the room. Before I could even comprehend what I was doing, my hand shot out of it's own accord and grabbed his sleeve. He turned to look at me in surprise. My fingers tightened and I opened my mouth to speak. Before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out of me.

"Please don't leave," I whispered. I paused, unsure why I had said it. I had no right to ask that. He had no obligation to stay and take care of me. I quickly released his sleeve, pulling my arm back. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he spoke up, interrupting me.

"I already told you I'd stay as long as you needed me, didn't I?" he said gently, smiling at me softly. "Well, scoot." He gestured at me, and I froze in surprise. For some reason, I hadn't expected him to agree so easily.

Seeing that I wasn't moving, he chuckled, and lifted the blankets, pushing me over gently and crawling in beside me. He lifted me and rested me on his rib cage. He had zipped up his hoodie, and it was fluffy beneath my head. One of his arms went around my shoulder, holding me gently to him.

"Is this okay?" he asked softly, and I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. His deep voice made his chest vibrate softly as he spoke, and I felt it beneath my skin. I nodded my head, letting out a tired noise of confirmation, too sleepy and comfortable to do anything else. He chuckled and his arm stroked my back comfortingly, his other hand running gently through my hair.

As sleep slowly caressed me, my last thought was how alike Sans was treating me to how I'd treated Frisk. Sleep stole over me, and I was wrapped in a comfortable, peaceful dreamless darkness, surrounded by Sans' scent and presence.

~~~

I came awake slowly, groggily. I quickly shook the sleep from my mind, and remembering the events of the night before, I expected to have a bony arm still wrapped around me. Instead, I was lying in a pile of fluffy blankets, and I could hear breathing around me.

Slowly lifting my head I looked sleepily at my surroundings. I was back in the living room, in our blanket fort, and my friends were asleep around me. I noticed Rae was sleeping close on one side, and Sans was sleeping close on my other, turned towards me as though he had been watching me.

I slowly climbed out of my fluffy cocoon and crept out of the fort, heading for the kitchen. I needed caffeine and something sweet.

I set a pot to boil on the stove, pouring the coffee grounds into the french press. I rummaged through the drawers, and pulled out a little bag of donuts, munching away as I sat on the counter, waiting for the water to come to a boil.

I heard shuffling, and raised my head, a smile ready on my face. It was Sans. He came sleepily into the kitchen, rubbing his skull. He smiled when he saw me up. He walked over and leaned against the counter beside me, and I handed him a donut.

He took it gratefully, taking a bite. I smiled at him, but was otherwise unsure what to say to him. After last night, I suddenly felt unsure being in his presence. I didn't like the idea of how he saw me now. I felt it needed to be addressed, but was unsure how to go about doing so.

"So, coffee?" I asked as I slid off the counter, setting my bad of treats down and moved to finish the job. Sans picked up the bag, pulling out another donut as he watched me.

"Yes, please," he said, and his tone was cheerful. But I could still see it in his eyes, or rather eye sockets-that lingering concern. He didn't seem to know how to bring up last night either. I was suddenly positive he wasn't mentioning it because he didn't want to upset me, seeing that I had, indeed, bounced back.

I made the coffee, and then poured two cups, grateful I had awoken early and still had time to prepare myself for the day before everyone else woke.

"Black or. . .?" I asked, gesturing to his cup.

"Black is fine," he said, and his voice was suddenly closer. I turned and jumped when I saw him standing behind me, bag of donuts abandoned on the counter. I handed him his cup, and then poured some sweet creamer into my own before turning to him, leaning against the counter.

I took a long sip, relishing in the warmth that coated my throat, preparing for the conversation to come. I could tell by the expression on his face it wouldn't be long before he brought it up, and sure enough he asked.

"Are you doing better this morning?" he asked softly, the lights in his eyes soft as he looked at me.

"Yes, I am. Sometimes the panic attack lingers, but I'm fine now. I told you I would bounce back quickly." I gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded, leaning against the counter beside me.

"I triggered it, didn't I?" he asked, guilt creeping into his voice. The shock of the words made me stand up straight. I set my cup of coffee down on the counter, a little heavily and then moved so I was standing in front of him, looking up at him fiercely.

"This wasn't your fault," I said firmly. It was bad enough that he'd had to deal with me like that, I couldn't have him blaming himself for it.

"But. . . what I said, it upset you," he started.

"I would have had that panic attack anyway. It was creeping up on me all day, it was only a matter of time. This wasn't your fault." I wasn't even sure about the honesty of my words. It was mostly true, the night before with Frisk is what really brought back the anxiety, but it was hearing my name said like that that really set it off. But there was no way I was going to let him blame himself for my own weakness.

"But-"

"Not buts," I said firmly. He sighed heavily, looking at me uncertainly. "I am fine now. I promise." And I wasn't lying. Considering how long it had been since I'd had a panic attack, I had bounced back surprisingly quickly. I had managed to completely silence that voice last night, and it hadn't emerged again, as it sometimes did. I had firmly pushed away any thoughts or memories that had haunted me the night before. I suspected quite heavily that this was because of Sans, because of the support and comfort he had offered. I had never had that kind of support before. I had always worked myself through these things on my own, I had no other choice but to be strong.

I gently took the cup out of Sans' tight grip, placing it on the counter and leaned on my toes, wrapping my arms his neck in a tight hug. I could feel myself pressed tightly against his rib cage. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, leaning down and burying his face in my hair. He took a deep, slightly shaky breath.

"Thank you," I murmured against his neck quietly. I felt him shiver just the slightest bit as my breath washed over him and I wondered for a moment if skeletons were ticklish or sensitive. "Thank you much. I don't know how I'll repay you."

"You don't have to repay me," he said firmly, voice vibrating against my chest. "I helped you because I care about you. I would do it again. I always will. That's what friends are for, right?"

I laughed softly. "Yeah, I suppose so."

We hugged quietly for a minute more before he asked me softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Just the thought of telling him anything about why I had broken down made me panic. "No," I said quickly. He pulled back, looking down at me curiously. "No," I replied again more softly, placing my hands softly on his rib cage. "I know you want to help, but it really won't help to talk about it. I'm fine. I just want to forget it happened."

"Okay," he agreed, rather easily. I sighed, and pulled back, realizing that I had probably been too close to him for too long. I picked up my coffee and hopped up on the counter beside him again.

We sat and drank our coffee, and I decided to make crab omelette's for breakfast, unfortunately not with real crab. Everyone shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They sat at the stools and I started dishing out coffee and food, and Papyrus was quite surprised to see Sans helping me, though he was quick to deflect the lack of laziness with jokes and a few very bad puns.

The normal breakfast routine eased me back into a sense of comfort. After breakfast, Undyne once again challenged me. Time to relieve some steam.

After agreeing to meet her in the yard in 30 I rushed up to my room. I hesitantly checked my bathroom, relieved when I saw that it was spotless and shining. I noticed, with a bit of surprise that the pocket knife I had kept in there was no longer anywhere in sight, and I wondered for a moment if Sans had disposed of it along with my other things.

I quickly dressed in a pair of leggings, and threw on a light tank top. Seeing the scars still on my forearms, I reached inside my closet and pulled down my secret make-up kit with my heavy duty make-up, the kind for covering up tattoos. I quickly covered my arms, effectively making the scars disappear. There was no longer any trace of the events from the night before, but I quickly threw on a light black hoodie too, just to be safe. Not bothering to throw on shoes, I pulled my hair into a loose bun as I rushed downstairs.

Coming out onto the lawn I was greeted by my friends. It was just Undyne, Alphys, Sans, Papyrus and Frisk. Toriel had gone to the school, where she now taught, and Asgore had gone into town to visit the other monsters, and Rae had joined him. Mettaton was away on yet another of his escapades into the city, having said he had filming to do.

Undyne was currently lifting almost everyone assembled. She had Alphys on one arm, Papyrus in another, and Frisk hanging from her neck. Frisk was laughing, Alphys was clinging to Undyne's arm in fright, feet off the ground and Papyrus was simply shouting in awe of Undyne's strength.

Sans leaned casually in a lawn chair, watching the proceedings with much amusement.

I laughed at the ridiculousness as Undyne rushed across the yard towards us excitedly, seeing that I had rejoined them. Alphys squeaked in fear at the sudden speed, and Frisk held on for dear life, Undyne seeming completely unfazed by the tight grip.

She set Alphys down gently on the lawn and released Papyrus, who rolled to his feet easily. She wrestled Frisk from her and plopped her on Sans, who grunted as Frisk fell heavily into his lap in a fit of laughter.

"So, you ready, punk?!" Undyne asked, eye shining in excitement.

I laughed at her exuberance. "Hell yeah!"

A spear appeared in her hand and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "I'm not gonna take it easy on you today!" She shouted, tossing the spear to me, and conjuring another.

"I wouldn't want you to," I said with a wink, twirling the spear in my hands, and turning and running away from her, to put some distance between us and our group of friends. I was grateful for Undyne's impeccable timing. I felt like I needed to release some steam, and what better way than by sparring with the fierce fish lady?

We spent the next twenty minutes fighting. Or rather, I dodged and weaved and deflected while she vainly attempted to land some kind of blow on me. After the time faded, Undyne and I collapsed in the grass, breathing hard. This was only a warm up compared to some of the other working out we both did, but it was tiring non the less.

"You sure are good at dodging!" Undyne said, laughing heartily. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'm equally as good at fighting," I said with a laugh, half joking as I had no idea how my fighting skills would actually compare to theirs. Compared to the average human, certainly better than most, but compared to the monsters. . . probably not so much.

"That she is," Sans chuckled. "You should have seen her kick ass when we first met her."

"I wish I could! I wish you would spar with me for real!" Undyne complained.

"Sorry friend, not risking it," I said lightly. I wasn't willing to risk really hurting her, no matter how unlikely.

Undyne just groaned in complaint. And then an idea seemed to occur to her and she sat up in sudden excitement.

"Wait a minute! I have an idea! Hey Sans!"

I looked at her, eye brow raised. I wasn't sure where she was going with this, and it made me uneasy.

"Sorry, Undyne, not gonna fight her," Sans grumbled quietly.

"That's not what I was going to say! I was going to ask if you could conjure enemies for us to fight with your magic!"

Sans paused, thinking. "I might be able to do something like that, I've never tried it before."

"Well try!" Undyne shouted, rising to her feet excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I had somewhat demonstrated what I could do, but there had been nothing more than air to demonstrate it with, and hadn't given a very good idea of what I was actually capable of.

Sans shrugged his shoulders and I saw the lights in his eyes fade, until it was just his glowing blue left eye. Magic wrapped around his fingers and then a humanoid figure appeared in front of Undyne and I. Its shape was made of the glowing blue magic, and it shifted and rolled, not quite having a solid shape.

"That works!" Undyne yelled happily. I rose to my feet beside her.

"I imagine it takes a lot of concentration to actually keep something like that going," I commented, looking at the constantly shifting form that couldn't seem to hold a definitive shape. "And it's not like it can fight us without direction."

"True," Sans agreed.

"I can try too!" Papyrus shouted in excitement. And closed his sokcets in concentration, his brows drawing together almost comically. Slowly, a glowing shifting form appeared, in his glowing orange magic. When he opened his eyes his smile widened in excitement.

"Wowie, I did it!" Papyrus shouted happily.

Undyne smiled over at me conspiratorially, and summoned a spear, tossing it to me. Its magic thrummed between my fingers. She summoned another one for herself, and then said, "Bring it on!"

Sans raised a brow, and several more humanoid figures appeared. I reached a hand out curiously, and my hand phased right through the figure, my skin tingling almost painfully as it met my skin, prickling through my nerves. I withdrew my hand, looking at the skeletons curiously.

"If you can land what would be a killing blow on a person, it'll disappear, and if it hits you, you're out. Sound like a plan?" Sans explained. Undyne and I nodded and smiled at each other mischievously. I gripped the spear a little more tightly, and then a real fight started.

I expected it to be easy, and boy was I surprised. The amorphous figures shifted and dodged, and their arms swung at us. I dodged a blow aimed at my head, and raised my spear, swiping at the figure. It dodged, but I managed to land a blow straight to the chest with the next swipe, and the figure disappeared, quickly to be replaced by another.

As the fight continued, I noticed the blue figures were much more challenging than the orange ones. I figured that was due to the person in control, and was surprised that Sans knew how to fight so well, even if he himself wasn't actually fighting.

I dodged and weaved between the figures, avoiding blows and landing blow after blow on the figure's chests and heads. Undyne eventually stepped out of the fight to watch me, and Papyrus got tired. It was just me and the glowing blue shapes.

I lost track of how many I "killed". The spear rolled easily in my hands and I danced between the shapes, stepping lightly across the grass on my toes as I side stepped blows, keeping complete control over my movements, easily avoiding blows while landing ones of my own with either ends of the spear.

They were never ending, and after some time, they eventually dissipated entirely.

I was breathing heavily, and quite pleased with myself. I'd taken a few glancing hits, but nothing that would have been considered too damaging. I had never fought so many targets at once and was pleased with how well I had done.

When I looked over at my friends, I saw all of them watching me with awe on their faces, and noticed the beads of sweat on Sans' skull. Alphys had her cell phone in her hand, and seemed to be recording me.

"Geez, buddy, you really are good at fightin', huh?" Sans said, watching me walk casually across the grass. I raised a brow at Undyne, who also studied my moves as I walked towards them, observing me.

"You are a true warrior," Undyne said solemnly. "I can see it now, in how you move. It's not just when you fight, it's in how you carry yourself. I noticed it before, but I never noticed it as much as I do now. That control over your body, that grace in how you move, with the upmost control. I'm surprised I never noticed just how much before now."

I blushed at the comment, shrugging my shoulders self-consciously. I slipped my hoodie off my sweaty skin, letting the cool air brush across my skin. I noticed Sans' look of surprise as he examined my seemingly unblemished arms, but didn't voice anything.

I sat down beside my friends on the lawn, and Frisk quickly crawled into my lap, signing up at me excitedly.

_You were so cool!_

"Thanks kiddo," I said, ruffling her hair. "It's really no big deal though, it's just a bit of self defense."

"Well, it's cool!" Undyne said exuberantly. "Do you know any other kinds of self-defense?"

"Yeah, I do. I know how to fight with just my hands, though that's mostly for fighting human assailants."

"How can you effectively fight with just your hands?" Undyne asked curiously. "You don't have claws. Well _you_ sort of do, and while you could do a bit of damage, not enough to be deadly."

I laughed. "Well, this self-defense is mostly for stunning and disarming, not meant to be deadly, though it can be used that way."

"Well, what is it! Can you show us?" Undyne asked, leaning forward excitedly.

"I can try," I shrugged. I hadn't used the technique on anything but a normal human before, and I wasn't sure how the fighting method would work on a monster. "I can at least explain it. The easiest way to describe what I do is to imagine that a human body is a machine, and what I do sort of forces them to shut down from the inside."

They all paused, looking at me curiously. "How is it that not dangerous?" Alphys asked quietly. "Forcing a human to shut down seems like it would. . . be deadly."

I laughed. "Well, not quite like that. Let me explain." I leaned forward, shifting Frisk in my lap so I could hold out my arms. "Imagine this. The human body has energy running through it, similar to how a monster has magic running through their bodies. Well, a human's energy flows through our muscles similar to the way magic does," I explained, running a hand up my forearm, trying to map the flow of energy with my fingers. "Energy flows from one part of our body to the other, from my forearm, to arm, to my shoulder," I traced my arm, demonstrating my words. "They are seperate, yet connected, and the energy is what keeps every part of our body flowing evenly and together. If the flow of energy is disrupted, however, such as if the energy is cut off from one section of our body to the other, it can make it so a person can't use that part of their body that has been disconnected."

"Isn't that incredibly damaging?" Alphys asked, watching my fingers with wonder.

"It can be, but it depends on how you use the technique. If I applied pressure to just the right places on my arm, I would no longer be able to move my fingers, but if I release that hold, and the energy flows again, my fingers become accessable again. The pressure points on a humans body are particularly sensative, however, and if more pressure is applied in just the right place or in just the right way, the damaging effects can be longer lasting, even permanent, if the pressure points are irreparably damaged. If the energy can no longer flow, our body would no longer have access to that section of our limbs."

"And how much damage can you cause with something like that?" Sans asked curiously.

"Well, it _could_ kill a person, if you really knew what you were doing, but that's hard to do, and can cause very serious irreversible damage if done wrong. The body has several major points of energy convergence, but the main point is the center of our chest," I rested my hand between my breasts, indicating the spot. "Hit in just the right way, and it could stop a person's heart for good."

"Do you think that's the main spot because that's where your soul is?" Alphys asked curiously.

"Hmm. I never thought of that, but yeah, that's probably why."

"Cool," Undyne murmured.

"Have you used it before? This technique?" Sans asked.

"Well, I've used the basics of the technique to disarm people before. That's how I was disarming the men who I fought when I met you guys. When I was hitting those two with that pole, I was hitting them here, here and here," I moved my hand, placing in on ribs side, and stomach. "Those pressure points quickly made them drop, unable to move their torso, though those effects would have worn off after about 10-15 minutes. That's the most I've ever done, though I do know how to use it to more damaging effects, I've never had to. And I hope I never do."

Everyone simply nodded, looking at me curiously. "So, do you think it would work on a monster?" Undyne asked. She was running a hand up her arm curiously.

"Maybe, certain monsters. If I could figure out how your magic flowed through you, I imagine the concept would be similar."

"Can you try? I'm curious to see what it does," Undyne asked, sticking her arm out at me.

I smiled. "Sure, I can try." 'I took her arm between my fingers, running my hand gently across her forearm. It felt similar to the anatomy of a human, so I tried, pressing my fingers into the four specific spots that would make her hand tingle. As I pressed down on the points, though, her reaction was not what I expected. She yelped and withdrew her hand, shaking it vigorously.

"What the hell was that!" She shouted, eyeing me.

"I- I don't know. Did that hurt you?" I asked, concerned.

"A little," she murmured, flexing her fingers. "It felt like pins and needles all on my hand and forearm, and it felt like I couldn't move my fingers at all. Then I couldn't even feel that. It felt like my hand disappeared."

"Well, that's sort of what I was trying to do, though it shouldn't have been that strong of a reaction," I murmured quietly. "It was just meant to tingle a little that's all."

"The effects are probably different because her magic is so strong," Alphys murmured. "A monsters body is entirely magic."

"Maybe that's why," I agreed. "A human body just has energy running through it, not entirely made of it. I'll be sure to be careful. But here, so you can get back at me," I grabbed Undyne's hand and placed her hand on my forearm. "Like this," I instructed, placing her fingers on the pressure points. "Now, press down gently." She did so, and my fingers began to tingle. "Right now, my fingers are tingling like crazy." I smiled and she looked at my hand in wonder, raising her other hand and touching my fingers. "If you were to apply just a little more pressure I wouldn't be able to move my fingers."

Undyne quickly withdrew her grip. "I don't want to do that to you!"

I laughed on her over reaction. "It would have worn off the moment you took your hands away, unless you twisted your grip just right. Then the effects would last longer."

Undyne was examining her arms again curiously, and Alphys had reached out a hand to touch her arms too. Frisk tugged on my hair gently and I looked down at her.

_Can I feel?_

I giggled. "Sure, kiddo. It feels really strange though." She smiled and offered her arm. I found the little pressure points, and pressed down gently. Frisk's eyes widened as her fingers began to tingle. She flexed her fingers experimentally.

 _It feels like my arm fell asleep._ She signed when I released her.

"That's what it was supposed to feel like," I said, laughing.

"So this technique, can it be used for more than just self-defense?" Sans asked.

"Well, yeah," I answered. "The pressure points in our bodies can be manipulted to do more than just hurt. There are also pressure points to tickle, or to relieve certain pains, or to make us feel warm or tingly or. . ." I paused, realizing I had almost continued the thought, and blushed lightly. "Well, they can do a _lot_ of things."

I saw the light dusting of blue on his cheekbones, seeming to understand what I was implying.

After that, we spent several hours talking about the technique. They had a lot of questions about what I could do with it, and I assured Undyne I'd teach it to her.

As the evening drew to a close, the rest of our family returned home, and we all went inside to have dinner, and spent the rest of the night unwinding in the living room.

I was extremely grateful that night when I collapsed into bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, main character is still a badass. They will continue to be, because badass characters are the best.


	7. Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holiday season comes rolling in, and with holiday's come parties. And with parties comes fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you lovely readers for enjoying my story <3

As fall came around, the monsters got to experience their first true autumn. The forests around the town they had previously been in were full of pine trees and a few trees that changed into off colors, but those were nothing compared to the forest that surrounded the estate. The forest gradually changed from green to wild and beautiful shades of red, orange, gold, and pink. The colors speckled the forest, looking even more startling against the deep green leaves of the other trees.

The monsters had gone out every day so far that autumn to walk the paths in the forest and marvel at the beauty. I completely agreed with their enrapture, as I hadn't seen a fall so beautiful in my entire life. It was like all the most beautiful trees I had ever sparingly seen were coalesced in this one forest.

And I introduced them to new fall traditions. There were orchards and fields on one side of town, and we proceeded to have apple pickings, maze trips, and of course at the end of it all, Halloween.

The holiday was a new concept to the monsters, but once my sister and I explained it, they were eager and excited to participate. The house was decorated in cobwebs, not even the fake ones, these they bought from Muffet, who made a fortune selling them as all the monsters eagerly got into the holiday spirit.

Our monster family decided to throw a party at the estate, and everyone was invited. Mettaton, of course, took full advantage of the situation to set up the entire house in the best way possible. There were cobwebs, fog machines, and decorations ranging from cute to scary to creepy littered all through the estate. The day before Halloween was entirely spent cooking delicious treats to be served at the party.

Popcorn balls and fresh apple cider were made, along with rice crispy treats in the shapes of pumpkins,skeletons and ghosts, the last two of course based of a few close friends. The day the party was supposed to be held, Undyne, Alphys, Frisk, Rae and I disappeared into town, to one of the new shops selling costumes to pick ours out, as we had been so busy planning for the holiday party we forgot to actually get costumes ahead of time.

Undyne ended up being dressed up as a fantasy/anime style warrior, full revealing armor and fake weapons included. Alphys decided to be a cat-style woman based off her favorite anime character from Mew Mew Kissie Cutie. They were both adorable.

Rae decided to go as a devil, wearing tight leather pants and a red corset, along with a little tail and horns glued to her head, fake contacts to make her eyes look black, and make-up fabulously done. She looked both scary and sexy at the same time.

Frisk insisted on having matching costumes. And I promised the kiddo I'd let them pick. The choice was both exciting and a little embarrassing, for me at least.

Frisk wanted to be skeletons for Halloween, in honor of her, and admittedly my, favorite monsters. Frisk ended up in an adorable skeleton costume that covered her from head to toe, her hair temporarily dyed black with a nice red ribbon through it, and her face nicely done to look like a skeleton, with a few artistic swirls around her temples and cheekbones, courtesy of myself. She had on black converse and was adorable. Frisk picked out which costume I would wear to match hers, and it was the most scandalous costume I had ever worn.

It was a black dress with the skeleton bones on the front and back, and halfway down my arms, and came halfway down my thighs. And it was skin-tight. Skin tight in the way that it left nothing to imagination in the way it hugged my curves. I was short and small, a whole 4'9 and size 2 waistband, but surprisingly curvy. I wore black nylons under the dress and a pair of black steletos with bones on it to match the bones on the dress. I had a little silver charm bracelet around my left wrist, with little different shaped bone charms and a silver ring on my right index finger that made my finger look like a bone, hinged at my knuckle so my finger could still bend easily. My hair was done up in swirls on my head, held in place by a silver bone charm, so the costume would be fully visible.

I painted my long fingernails red, and splashed some red lipstick on to give myself a splash of color along with the black skeleton makeup. I added swirls all along my face, just as I did Frisk, and we matched perfectly.

We returned to the estate just as the sun was setting, and we noticed the driveway was already filled with vehicles. Monsters were already beginning to fill the estate.

Frisk decided it would be a good idea to whisk ourselves away upstairs, and make a grand entrance before our family members could notice us. She said she wanted to surprise Papy and Sans, as she hadn't alluded to what she planned to wear.

We waited upstairs until we heard Papy shout that he would valiantly find us and bring us to join the festivities.

Frisk winked at me and then grabbed my hand, pulling us out to the balcony right as the brothers reached the bottom of the stairs. They both stopped in their tracks when they saw us, sockets going wide. I swear Papyrus's sockets sparkled when he saw us, and he let out an excited squeal, hands flying to cheeks.

Frisk giggled and practically dragged me down the stairs to them.

"FRISK! VYNE! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!" Papyrus shouted, whisking Frisk into the air and pressing her tight to his chest. Both Papyrus and Sans' cheeks were glowing with magic as they blushed. I noticed Pap was dressed as a pirate and Sans just wore a shirt that said _this is my halloween costume._

 _We decided to dress like our heroes!_ Frisk signed, when Pap leaned back to look at her. He squeaked in excitement again, spinning around with a giggling Frisk in his arms.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD DRESS TO LOOK LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I AM FLATTERED TINY HUMAN AND LESS SMALL HUMAN!"

"Nice costume," Sans murmured, chuckling. I pretended not to notice how his eyes traveled over my body quickly while I was turned towards Papyrus and Frisk, before flashing up to meet my eyes when I turned to him. I pouted slightly when I noted he was still over half a foot taller than me, even with my ridiculous heels on.

"Yeah, Frisk decided to dress up as her favorite monsters and wanted us to match. You like?" I asked with a sly look, smiling slightly as I held my arms out, resting my weight on one leg to accentuate the costume.

"You look _sans_ ational," he said with a wink.

"That was horrible," I laughed at the pun, giving him a playful push. He clutched his chest as though I'd hurt him, giving me a look that clearly said I'd betrayed him. I ignored it, gestured to his current attire. "Nice costume, I can tell you worked so hard on it."

He chuckled. "Hey, I'm wearin' jeans and actual _shoes_ for you people. Show some gratitude."

I laughed. He was indeed wearing a pair of dark-wash jeans and blue converse, and I was surprised to note there weren't any holes or wear in the items.

I shook my head at him and tsked, giving him a disapproving look, trying to fight the smile that tried to come my lips when he looked at me too innocently.

"FRIEND!" Papyrus shouted and I felt myself lifted. Papyrus had wrapped his arms around me from behind and lifted me into a hug, crushing me against his ribs, my feet clear off the floor. "We must go! There are guests awaiting our arrival!"

And with that he rushed away down the hall, myself still in his arms, and Frisk propped on his shoulders. I heard Sans chuckle from behind us. When we entered the main room being used for the party, a large foyer a building over from our usual living quarters, I was happy to note Mettaton had done a fabulous job making it look holiday ready. Fog clung to the floors and black lights made the room look positively creepy. There were tables along the entirety of one wall, covered in holiday related food and beverages, a lot of them alcoholic. Music washed through the room, vibrating under the soles of my feet as Pap set me down and swung Frisk off his shoulders, plopping her down beside me.

I was happy to note that we looked awesome under the black lights, the white of our costumes and make up shining. I also giggled when I saw that Papyrus's bones shined in a similar manner.

Papyrus rushed off to greet guests with a quick farewell to us, and Frisk grabbed my hand, squeezing my fingers. I smiled down at her and then she rushed off to greet Toriel, who was dressed as a nurse for the occasion, and Asgore, who had decided to be some kind of super hero with his trident looking weapon.

I saw Sans leaning against one wall by the condiments table, watching us. I smirked at him, knowing he definitely hadn't walked there faster than us and he winked at me, giving me a mischievous smile.

I saw Frisk talking animatedly to Toriel and Asgore, and then pointed to me, no doubt telling them about our costumes.

I made my way over to them and spent the rest of the evening catching up with monsters I hadn't seen in a while, and getting to know monsters I hadn't become well acquainted with. By the end of the night I swore I knew every monster on the surface.

Mettaton gushed over my costume and make-up, Undyne challenged me to a drinking game, which I politely refused, and Rae and Undyne dragged me and Alphys onto our make-shift dance floor whenever a particularly good song came on. I pretended not to notice that Sans eyes followed me around the room almost the entire night, though we didn't interact other than the occasional teasing and jokes as we passed each other.

The guests, of course, loved the home made snacks. Papyrus blushed over the treats that were shaped like him and his brother, and I saw a ghost blush for first time when Napsta saw the treats shaped after himself, which was basically him just glowing more brightly.

The party lasted clear through midnight, and it wasn't until one in the morning that the last of the guests had left, and Tori and Asgore took Frisk to bed, excusing themselves for the evening as well.

The black lights were turned off and the room was bathed in muted lighting as Undyne claimed our real party was going to start. We quickly took up the comfy chairs and Undyne dragged a couch over so we could all sit comfortably next to the tables of food and drinks, music now playing softly through the room.

"So, I have decided we are going to play truth or dare," Undyne said, leaning forward with a wicked grin.

"What, are we in grade school?" I asked with a laugh.

"This won't just be normal truth or dare," she said, grinning devilishly at me. "Whoever refuses to answer a question to the askers satisfaction or refuses a dare, has to drink." I didn't voice that her and Mettaton, particularly Mettaton, had already had too much to drink.

"Sounds like fun," Mettaton purred. Everyone else was quick to agree. Rae looked over at me worriedly, but I waved away her worry, determined not to ruin the fun of the evening by being the only one to opt out. I would just have to make sure to complete every challenge.

The game started out innocently enough, but as the evening progressed it got slowly more and more scandalous. Papy, of course was just given a cup of sparkling punch, but everyone else had liquor. And the more everyone drank, the more scandalous it got. Before it could get to the truly scandalous, Sans brought a sleepy Papy upstairs and Mettaton had passed out on one of the couches with a blanket draped over his prone form. Undyne caught onto my reluctance to drink before too long, and her challenges and questions got worse and worse.

"So, Silvy," Undyne drawled. "Truth or dare?" she asked, finally getting to me. I groaned inwardly.

"Truth," I said, reluctant to see what she would dare me to do now that the more innocent people were out of the room. She gave me a disappointed frown before smiling wickedly. _Oh no_.

"Okay, Silvy. Of all the anime characters we know and love, which do you find the most attractive and why?"

I raised a brow at her, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms. The question was surprisingly innocent.

I noticed Sans eyes settle on me, his gaze surprisingly intense as he waited for my answer, clearly curious as well.

"Well?" she asked, giving me a sly look.

"Give me a second, I'm thinking," I said, leaning my head back as I thought. Sure there were lots of anime characters I had found mildly attractive but none enough to really be of note. "Does it have to be an anime character?" I asked, as one particular fictional character suddenly popped into my head. The only fictional character that had ever stuck in my heart as a true fictional crush.

"Nope, as long as it's a fictional character," Undyne answered, shrugging, eager for my answer.

"Okay," I answered and voiced my favorite fictional character, the one from the novels that I had piled along my bookcase.

"Really? Why?" Undyne asked, and I remembered she'd wanted to hear why I found them attractive. I fumbled for an answer. "And make it juicy," Undyne added with a wiggle of her brows. I laughed at her and decided to simply answer honestly to satisfy her.

"Because they are the most wise and compassionate fictional character I have ever seen. And because they are also the most badass character ever created. Something about that unassuming character turning out to be the most badass character. . . well, ever created. All that hidden power. . . it's very attractive." I said, giving her a sly smile.

"Good to know, good to know," Undyne said, wicked smile growing. "It's the power you're attracted to? So you like it rough?"

I blushed furiously at the unexpected comment. "Don't twist my words, now."

"That wasn't a no," Undyne said slowly, eyes flashing.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Still wasn't a no," Undyne said again. I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"Does my answer satisfy you or not?" I asked, raising a brow at her.

"I suppose," she drawled. And the game passed on. When it got back to me, once again from Undyne, I answered truth again, just to be safe.

"You can't keep picking truth forever," Undyne warned.

"Watch me," I answered back with a smile.

"So then, answer my earlier question. Do you prefer it rough or soft?"

I blushed and opened my mouth before snapping it shut again, glaring at her. She smiled at me, leaning forward and sliding a drink across the table towards me.

I huffed. I was especially conscious of Sans eyes digging into me. I didn't even remotely look at him and I sighed and answered, "Fine."

A few seconds passed. "Well?"

I sighed heavily and leaned my head back, pinching the bridge of nose as I answered. "Rough," I said honestly.

"HA!" she shouted. "I knew it!"

"Yes, yes, we get it. Juicy enough for you?" I asked, giving her a small glare as she smiled at me triumphantly.

"Not even close," she warned. And of course on her next turn she turned to me again. "Truth or dare?" I opened my mouth to answer but before I could, she cut me off. "And before you answer, just know, you're not going to like the question you'll have to answer."

"And why's that?" I asked, glaring at her suspiciously.

"Because you'll have to go into all the juicy details about your kinks," she said smiling widely at me as I glared at her.

"What makes you think I have any?" I asked, raising a brow and leaning back in my chair, crossing my arms.

"Because every one does," she said. "And you won't get away with lying and saying you don't. And your answer would have to be particularly juicy for me to let you off the hook."

"Fine," I huffed, defeated and apprehensive. "Dare."

She smiled, and just the wickedness of it made me regret my decision.

"You have to kiss the person in this room that you want to kiss the most," she said, smiling at me more widely. I narrowed my eyes, glaring at her. She seemed to think she knew who that was. All eyes were watching me, waiting for my response.

I raised my brow at her. "What if that person is you?" I asked slyly.

"Flattered, but I know you'd be lying," Undyne laughed.

"What if it was Alphys?"

"Then I'd have to hit you," Undyne threatened lightly, knowing that wasn't my answer.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, and then giving her a very deliberate look, leaned an arm around the back of my sisters chair. I leaned to side and Rae gave me an amused look as I planted a kiss on her lips, holding for a few seconds before pulling away, giving Undyne a smug look.

"Liar!" she shouted.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"I know you're not being honest," Undyne said, glaring at me and shoving the full shot glass my way.

"Oh please, my sis is the sexiest person in this room," I said.

Rae laughed. "Flattered, but I think that's you sis," she said, gesturing to my outfit.

"Liar!" Undyne shouted again.

I clutched a hand to my chest in mock offense. "What exactly are you implying Undyne?"

She glared at me. We both knew perfectly well the only other person in the room was Sans, who was, by the way, watching the whole ordeal rather intently, even as he leaned casually back in his chair. I wasn't even sure how I felt about the skeleton, though I had a pretty good inkling. I knew I loved him, just like I loved every member of our new found family, and he had quickly become my best friend. But I was beginning to suspect that it might be more than that, though I didn't like to dwell on that thought too often. I wasn't about to let her in on any of that in the slightest, especially not when I haven't even come to terms with how I felt myself. And I definitely wasn't going to have Sans suspecting anything either.

I leaned back and crossed my arms, challenging her to say something. "Sorry, Undyne, if you were hoping for some juicy reveal you will be disappointed." I shrugged nonchalantly. She sighed heavily and sat back, defeated. She eyed me suspiciously, still suspecting I was lying, but not willing to push on it further.

When she got to me again I didn't hesitate to choose truth.

"Okay, of all the monsters you've met, what kind of monster do you find the hottest?" Undyne asked.

I almost couldn't hold back the smile that tugged at my lips as the sudden perfect opportunity presented itself. I was quite pleased to notice Undyne had no idea, but I could see an amused grin plastered on Sans' face as he realized what my answer would be.

"Grillby," I said slyly.

Undyne slammed her hand down on the table, making the cups rattle. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

I giggled. "Well, in all honesty, for a man made entirely of fire, he is pretty sexy."

Undyne groaned and I smiled. "But I can tell you which monster I find the most anatomically interesting if you want," I suggested and Undyne nodded. "Of all the monsters. . . " I paused. "The skeletons," I answered tilting my head towards Sans.

"Really?" he asked, raising a brow as he appraised me. I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why?" Undyne asked. It technically wasn't apart of the challenge to answer her, but I decided to indulge her.

"Because most other monsters are either similar to human anatomy or entirely different. So either they work somewhat like a human does or completely differently. The skeleton boys are the only ones who are similar enough to our anatomy, while still being widely different in how they function. It makes them interesting." I shrugged casually, pretending not to notice the slight blush on Sans' cheek bones.

"Hmm," Undyne said. "I suppose that's acceptable."

As the night continued, everyone else slowly got more and more drunk, as challenges that were either too embarrassing or too personal to complete were presented. I always completed them, regardless, finding ways to complete them without getting myself into too tight a spot.

By the time Undyne challenged me to a new game, she was particularly drunk, and getting very angry at the fact that I hadn't drunk a single thing all night.

"Okay! That's it!" Undyne shouted in frustration as I did yet another of her challenges. "Vyne, I challenge you!"

"Okay?" I drawled, gesturing for her to continue.

"But first, you answer me this," Undyne began. "And if you can't answer honestly, you take three shots."

I raised a brow, not voicing agreement until she asked her question.

"Why don't you like to drink?"

I paused and sighed. "I just don't."

"Not good enough!"

I sighed and leaned back, trying to think of an acceptable answer. "Alright, you want my honest answer? I don't like what alcohol does to people."

That answer seemed to sober her up slightly, seeing the serious look that had settled on my face as I answered.

"What do you mean by that?" Undyne asked quietly.

"Exactly what I said," I replied, shrugging. Undyne sighed and eyed me.

"So, what's your challenge?"

A smile found it's way back onto her lips, and she reached under the table, pulling up the strongest bottle of alcohol that was in our house and pulling out a double shot glass.

"For every shot I can take of this, you have to remove an item of clothing," she said eyeing me, challenging me. "And if you can't, you take one shot of it."

"So basically strip chicken?" I asked, smiling amusedly. Undyne was already pretty wasted, and that alcohol was by no means weak. "Alright, for every item I remove, you take a shot."

"Then it's a deal," she said, pouring her first glass, not seeming to realize I had left out the word clothing when I'd said it.

She threw back her head, taking her first shot. I slid my ring off my finger, and smiled at her slyly. She glared, realizing what I was doing, and then, realizing her mistake, simply poured herself another shot, not willing to back down in the slightest. I removed my bracelet. Then one shoe, then the other. I removed my nylons, slowly and deliberately sliding them down my legs, and then my dress, arching my back just the slightest bit as I slid out of it, just to give her a show. I was grateful that I had worn a nice lacy black bra, the lace wrapped around my ribs beneath my breasts and the padding pushed my boobs up and together sensually, and a pair of matching cheeky underwear adorning my hips.

I sat back in the chair, leaning my arms over the back it, challenging her. She was beginning to sway and her eyes were dropping. She took another shot, and I slid my hair ornament out, my hair falling down my back. I tilted my head, resting my cheek on my fingers as I challenged her to take another shot. She looked like she was about to pass out at any moment.

She simply smiled in triumph, noting that I didn't have any more little things to remove, and poured herself another glass. I lifted my hands, putting them behind my back over the clasp and glaring at her challengingly. Before she could raise it to her lips, Rae leaned forward, placing her hand on the glass.

"Okay, much as I like watching my sister do a strip tease, I think that's far enough," Rae said. Undyne grumbled in complaint, glaring at me. "Besides, I don't think you should be drinking anymore. You're about to pass out as it is."

Undyne grumbled but leaned back, letting out a huff of defeat. "Fine, you win this time," she grumbled in complaint, and then laid her head down on the table heavily. She didn't raise it again. I smiled triumphantly.

I pretended not to notice the sweat beaded on Sans' skull, glistening with just the slightest bit of blue. I pretended not to notice that his eyes had been glued on me the entire time I'd stripped. I slid my dress back on over my head, not bothering with the rest. The night was pretty much over anyway.

"Need some help getting her up to your room?" Sans asked Alphys. I noticed his voice was raspier than usual.

Alphys nodded eagerly. She rose from her seat, and wobbled. I walked to her side, putting an arm around her shoulders in support. She smiled at me gratefully and then Sans and I helped them back to their room, bidding Rae a good night.

I mouthed _thanks_ to her as we left the room, and she smiled back at me, waving.

I half carried Alphys, and Sans floated Undyne up to her room. Alphys collapsed in the bed beside her unconscious girlfriend and was quick to follow lead.

We padded back towards our rooms together.

"So," Sans suddenly spoke, voice deeper than usual. "Would you have actually done it if she took that last shot?" When I looked up at him, I saw he was looking down at me and the lights in his eyes were brighter than usual, shining with something I couldn't quite place.

"I'm not one to back away from a challenge, so yes," I answered honestly, shrugging."Besides I figured that last shot would probably have done her in."

"And if it didn't and she took the one after?"

"Still would have done it. I don't go back on my word, even if it's for silly stuff like that. Besides, I'd much rather strip tease for my friends than take one sip of that crap."

"You really don't like alcohol, huh?" he asked, raising a brow as he appraised me, noting the disgusted look that came on my face.

"No, I really don't," I whispered.

"Does it bother you that we drink it?" he asked a little uncertainly.

"Not really," I answered. "You guys don't drink often, and when you do it's all in good fun. What I can't stand is drinking every day in excessive amounts. I've seen what alcohol does to people, and even if it's in good fun, I refuse to touch the stuff."I answered, my voice going quite. Sans looked at me intently, but didn't ask any questions, of which I was very grateful.

He bid me goodnight at my room, and half stumbled down the hall, a little buzzed himself.

I collapsed into an exhausted and peaceful sleep that night. All and all it had been a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never challenge Sylvie, she will always find a way. And yes, stupid, yet fun, truth or dare. Got to get the secrets out somehow. Feedback is welcome :3


	8. Bonding Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's have some bonding time with the new family.

Undyne and Alphys:

Winter settled on the surface, and as the season changed, snow began to fall. The first day it snowed was one filled with more excitement than Rae and I had ever seen for something so simple. Everyone awoke that first morning to find the ground covered in a thick layer of snow, sparkling in the sunlight as it blanketed the world, undisturbed by its inhabitants.

Papyrus was especially excited, and he bounded right out the doors in his pj's to frolick in the snow the second he saw it. Even Sans had seemed unusually animated when he saw the weather, and everyone was quick to throw on their winter clothes and go out into the yard for some fun. We spent the entire first day out in the yard and forest, building snow men and snow forts and commencing in snow ball wars.

No snow ball war had ever been so challenging, as Undyne and Papyrus treated it almost as though it were a true battle. We were split off into teams: Undyne, Papyrus, Alphys, and Sans on one team and Toriel, Asgore, Frisk, Rae and myself on another, with Mettaton as the designated referee.

We built walls of snow to hide behind and quickly went to war, using our forts and the surrounding trees as cover. Undyne decided to pick her battle most vigorously with me, and seemed to make it her goal to hit me with as many snow balls as possible. I even allowed her to slip a few in, just to please her.

Everyone got very much into the game, and it was truly an all out war, snowballs flying in every direction, hitting everyone regardless of teams most of the time. Sans even got into the game, though I could tell he let Papyrus and Frisk land blows without trying to avoid them, but whenever I aimed one at him, he would either dodge them, or teleport out of the way, winking my way when I glared at him in frustration. I quickly made it a goal to make a least one good hit before the game was over.

In order to so, I decided to strategically place myself, and I disappeared between the trees, until I found the perfect spot.

I quickly jumped up into the branches of the tall tree, and knocked the snow from a lower branch to cover my tracks in the snow, and then I lay in wait, my pile of snow balls laying on the branch beside myself.

It didn't take long, as Sans shuffled through the trees to avoid the barrage of snowballs flying at him from Papyrus and Frisk's attacks. He hid beneath the tree I was in, covered in snow, and the two quickly turned their attacks elsewhere with Sans out of sight.

I smiled happily with my perfect opportunity, even more pleased when I saw Sans lean against the tree to take a break.

Slipping a snow ball into my fist, I aimed and fired. And missed.

My target seemingly disappeared, and my smile faltered as I felt a presence behind myself.

"Boo," I heard the deep voice right by my ear, and I jumped at the unexpected sound, slipping from the branch I had been crouched on. The snow rose to meet me, but before I could hit the ground, I felt magic wrap around my body, and I was no longer falling. I was flipped upside down and I felt myself lifted up until I was eye level with Sans, who had a wide shit-eating grin plastered on his face as he leaned casually against the trunk of the tree.

"Thought you had me?" Sans grinned even wider, his eye twinkling mischievously.

I glared and him and huffed, not giving him the satisfaction of an answer. He only chuckled and raised a brow at me. I felt the chill against the skin of my stomach as the winter air suddenly had access to my exposed skin. I pointedly pulled my sweater back over myself.

"Want me to let you down?" he asked, spinning me into an upright position. I just crossed my arms, glaring. He chuckled and slowly lowered me to the ground, releasing me a few feet up. I landed in the snow with a soft "oof" and the snow settled around me. Sans was standing over me in the snow, smiling down at me.

"I will get you, damnit," I swore, and dashed to my feet, taking off towards the others, trying to formulate a plan. I didn't respond when I heard him chuckle and say, "Good luck with that" from behind me.

And lo and behold, I did indeed find my opportunity.

Everyone had decided to call a temporary truce to catch their breath, and Sans leaned casually under a tree, completely unsuspecting. He was watching his brother and Undyne wrestling in the snow with a smile on his face. He looked so happy in that moment I almost didn't go through with my plan. But it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

I picked up the decent sized rock I had found and hid behind a nearby tree. I quickly took aim before he could become aware of what I was doing and let my rock fly.

The rock hit the tree above Sans with a loud thwack and the snow in the branches above him shook at the blow. The snow fell from its height right onto its unsuspecting victim, effectively burying him under its weight.

"Yes!" I shouted in triumph, throwing my arms into the air.

Sans stood, the majority of the snow falling from his body, but still leaving a decent enough amount on his form that only added to my triumph.

"HA!" Undyne shouted, quickly coming over to me and giving me a victorious high five, as she had also been trying to hit the elusive skeleton all day. We did a little victory dance and I stuck my tongue out at Sans playfully when I saw him glaring at us.

Toriel's shouting from the house broke apart our little victory celebration as inviting promises of hot cocoa were offered. Everyone took off for the house, eager to sit by the fire and drink a nice hot drink to thaw the cold.

I skipped happily past Sans, giggling as his glare followed me. "Told you I'd get ya," I said teasingly with a wink as I passed him.

I was almost to the doors to the house when I felt the little press of magic as he teleported behind me, and then a shock of cold on the bare skin of my back. I squeaked in surprise as I realized Sans had pulled back my jacket and shoved a handful of snow right down my shirt.

"Sans! You asshole! That was freezing!" I glared at him as I attempted to shake the snow out of my jacket, turning to find that shit eating grin back on his face. His smile only widened when he saw my glare. I pushed him, catching him by surprise and he started to fall, but not before he caught one of my wrists in his bony grip, effectively trapping me and dragging me down with him.

We both hit the snow with a soft whoosh, almost becoming buried in the thick snow. It fluttered down around us, catching in my hair and eyelashes as I glared at him from my position on his broad chest.

"I go down, you go down with me," he growled. I felt his voice shake my body from where I lay, tightly pressed against his ribs. My hood had fallen down over my head, partially covering his grinning face as well, and we were so close I could feel his warm breath as it settled on my cheeks.

I saw the blue tint his cheekbones as he seemed to realize the position we were in, but that confident grin never wavered. I pouted at him, and was quick to shove a handful of snow into his face, to dissuade that smug attitude. It only made him chuckle more.

"Let go of me, bone boy, before I bury you in snow," I warned, struggling to stand with his arms still around my back. I tried to ignore when I felt my legs press against his bones. I was almost straddling him.

"I don't know if I'm inclined to, you're pretty warm," he said, chuckling and tightening his grip. He seemed far too pleased with himself. I glared at him and placed my hands firmly on his chest, leaning my face towards his until they were almost touching. I saw his eyes brighten just the slightest bit, that same distinctive look coming into them. The one I chose not to think too hard about.

"Well, considering the snow that is melting on my back, I won't be pretty soon. So you better let me go inside before I turn into a popsicle. If I freeze to death, I will gladly come back from the grave to dunk you," I warned with a teasing tone. I noticed how his expression seemed to tighten just a bit at that last sentence, but he only chuckled, the sound vibrating through my chest, making me shiver.

"I suppose I can do that," he said, his voice coming out deeper and raspier than usual. I felt my stomach flutter as his arms released their hold on me. I huffed at him and sat up. He raised a brow at me as I straddled him, not yet standing.

I crossed my arms for a second as I glared down at him, and then reached into the snow, quickly making a snow ball, and hitting him right in the face with it. He chuckled as he wiped the snow from his face.

"Now we're even," I said and stood, quickly making my way into the house. I glared when I saw him sitting at the kitchen counter smugly.

~~~

Later that evening, Undyne, Alphys, Rae and I sat around the fireplace in the sitting room, drinking hot chocolate and watching anime. Well, half watching anime, as we were all conversing in girl talk.

Undyne and Alphys had decided it was a good time to ask about Rae and myself's love lives. Rae told them about the various boyfriends and girlfriends she'd had through high school and college, and I simply sat back and listened, happy to simply listen to the juicy gossip.

"So Silvy!" Undyne said, rather loudly turning to me with a little mischievous light in her eye.

"Yeees?" I drawled.

"What kind of juicy gossip do you have?" Undyne asked with an eyebrow wiggle.

"It's just us girls," Alphys added, eager to hear my juicy secrets as well.

"I'm surprised my big sis hasn't told you," Rae said, looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Hasn't told us what!"

"I'm a virgin," I answered after some prompting from Rae. It wasn't technically true, but Rae didn't know that. And in terms of gossip, I had none.

"What! Really?" Undyne seemed to think I was lying, and even Alphys looked at me with some skepticism.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yes!" Undyne shouted while Alphys nodded in agreement.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because your too sexy not to have had sex!" Undyne nearly shouted, as though it were obvious.

"Undyne!" I scolded. "Keep it down, geez."

"Sorry," she mumbled, quieting herself. "But it's true. Someone as hot as you, never doing it before?"

I laughed. "Hey, I know I'm _sexy_ and all," I said with a sarcastic drawl. "But I'm not the type to just do it for fun."

"Yeah, Silvy can be a bit of a prude," Rae said with a teasing giggle.

"Um, I take offense to that," I said, clutching my chest and acting affronted.

"Well, better to be a prude than a slut," Alphys agreed.

"Hey!" I protested. "I mean it's true, but still. I'm no prude, come on."

"So why have you never done it?" Undyne asked.

"Well. . ." I paused, unsure what to say.

"It's not like there haven't been suitors," Rae commented. "There's been plenty of boys that went crazy for her in college, but none got past the second date."

"Why?" Undyne asked.

"If anyone wants in on all of _this_ ," I said, gesturing to myself. "They have to earn it," I said with a laugh.

"That they do," Rae agreed, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "While they seemed nice enough, my sis is the only one who gets to judge that. If they weren't good enough, then they weren't good enough."

"Well, that certainly makes sense," Alphys murmured, nodding in understanding.

"Okay, I get someone not being good enough in personality, but have you ever been attracted enough to someone to just consider having fun?" Undyne asked.

"Nope," I said, a slight flush coming to my cheeks as a particular person popped into my head after I answered, even if they weren't quite what she had described. I was grateful the room was so dark, as they didn't seem to notice.

"Well, if you've never done it, how do you know you like it rough?" Undyne asked with a teasing wiggle of her hips. I blushed even more furiously.

"Hey, I may not have done it before, but I'm not ignorant about what goes on," I said in defense. Undyne chuckled.

"So do you have any crushes now?" Alphys asked curiously.

"Not really," I shrugged.

"Oh is that so?" Undyne asked mysteriously. "Because we happened to see you and a particular skelly laying in the snow earlier today, quite closely if I might add."

"Hey, that wasn't what it looked like. I pushed him and he dragged me down with him. That was entirely his fault."

"Oh? You were laying in the snow for much longer than necessary."

"He was holding me there," I was quick to defend myself.

"You didn't seem to be trying that hard to get away," Undyne teased.

"Well. . ." I huffed, not sure what to say. Because it was true.

"We saw you straddling him."

"Only long enough to shove a snowball in his face!" I was beginning to get flustered. Undyne laughed, seeing my face getting more and more red.

"Why so defensive if it isn't true?" Undyne teased.

I sighed heavily and threw my arms into the air, rising to my feet. "That's it! I'm done! I do not have to sit and suffer these accusations!" I turned to walk away and Undyne threw her arms around my legs, almost toppling me. When I looked down at her, I laughed. She looked up at me pleadingly as she clung to my legs melodramatically.

"Don't go! I was just teasing!"

"You promise not to bring it up again?" I asked, crossing my arms in a scolding manner, which was difficult as I was trying to fight a smile.

"Well, I don't know if I'll go that far," Undyne said teasingly.

I huffed again and dragged her an inch across the floor as I tried to walk away.

"Okay, okay!" Undyne laughed. I relented and returned to my spot on the floor, and Undyne wrapped her arms around my shoulders, hanging over me.

We continued to gossip for some time, before I excused myself to go change into some pj's. As I opened the door and stepped into the hall I felt a brush of magic tingle on my skin, but when I looked, the hall was empty.

Mettaton, Frisk, and Papy:

It was an early morning, and I awoke to Frisk bouncing excitedly on my bed to wake me. I opened my eyes groggily, squinting as the bright morning light seeped through my curtains. I was greeted with a small smiling face leaning over me. As soon as my eyes settled on her, she began to sign.

_Papyrus said he'd teach me to cook! But Rae said you had to supervise us since she has to go out today. Will you come down with us?_

I laughed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up. "Sure thing, Frisk. Just give me a second to wake up, I'll be right downstairs."

She gave me a big smile and then bounced off my bed and ran out the door. I could hear her feet thumping down the hallway as she ran excitedly towards the stairs.

I dragged myself out of bed, and went into my bathroom to quickly brush my hair and teeth. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from one of my favorite tv shows and then padded towards the stairs.

Frisk was sitting at the top of the stairs, waiting for me. She waved excitedly at me as I came towards her and bounced to her feet. I knelt down and she crawled happily on my back as we walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

When I entered, Papyrus was already waiting for us, and with him was Mettaton. Papyrus looked absolutely flushed as Metta leaned on the counter towards him, a teasing smile on his lips.

I cleared my throat and they turned to see Frisk and I coming in. Papyrus looked absolutely relieved to see us.

"FRISK, VYNE! THERE YOU ARE!"

"Hey, Pap," I greeted. I shot Metta a scolding glance and he smiled at me sheepishly.

 _We can start cooking now!_ Frisk signed excitedly, her hands appearing in front of my face.

"YES, WE CAN!"

"Indoor voice, Papy," I laughed. "It's still pretty early."

"I apologize, human. I forgot you aren't fully functional in the morning," he said in a slightly quieter voice. "I hope you don't mind if Mettaton joins us this morning. He said he wanted some cooking lessons as well, so I said he could join us."

"That's fine Pap," I said with a reassuring smile. I raised a brow at Mettaton when Papyrus turned towards the stack of recipe books on the counter. Mettaton blushed at the look and shrugged.

"I'll let you and Frisk pick a recipe Pap," I said, and turned to set Frisk down on a counter. I slid over to Mettaton. "You're in for a long, messy day," I warned him while Frisk and Papyrus fought over whether or not to make spaghetti.

"I don't really mind, darling," Mettaton replied, quite sincerely.

"So, flirting with Papy, huh?" I said with a wink, and was pleased to note that Mettaton blushed, though he tried to look nonchalant.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Metta said, too innocently.

"You know Sans will dunk your ass if he finds out, right?" I asked teasingly. He blanched a little and cleared his throat.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," he said defensively.

I laughed at how strong the protest sounded. "Well, regardless. You ruin Papy's innocence, and he won't be the only one to pick a bone with you," I giggled.

Metta rolled his eyes. "Don't you start with the puns!"

I laughed at how exasperated he sounded. I turned to him with a more serious expression. "But seriously Metta, Papy is a precious cinnamon roll, and if you break his heart Sans will be the least of your worries, understand? Hell, everyone in this house is gonna be protecting him."

"I have no intention of doing any such thing," he said seriously.

"I always took you as the flirty type, but hey, if you're serious about him, I'm not gonna stop you. Just make sure you know what you want before you do."

"I know, darling," he said, voice unusually somber.

"We have it decided!" Papyrus suddenly shouted and I turned to see Frisk triumphantly holding the recipe book out to me.

It was open to a page with a recipe for prime rib roast, roasted garlic potato wedges and some grilled pees and carrots as well as a recipe for strawberry angel food cake for desert. Seems Frisk won, and we weren't having spaghetti.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed happily, hopping up onto the counter beside Frisk. "You ever cooked something like this, Pap?"

"No, but I am a culinary genius, I'm sure I can figure it out!"

"Alright, but just make sure to ask if you need any help. I am familiar with that recipe," I laughed lightly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent mostly teaching Papyrus and Frisk how to cook, while Papyrus tried to suggest rather destructive ways to improve the meal. Mettaton simply kept us company, occasionally chatting with us as we cooked.

Luckily, I managed to keep pretty good control over the skeleton, and the meal ended up pretty tasty. Sans even appeared in the kitchen just in time to be our taste tester.

Neither Metta nor I missed the suspicious glare he shot the robot when he saw him standing too close to his brother and I shot him a look that said _I told you so,_ much to his displeasure.

As everyone came home from their various chores they all filed into the dining room, and we all sat down to a wonderful dinner, and Papyrus absolutely glowed when I praised him for the delicious meal.

Toriel and Asgore:

I was down in the kitchen fixing a pot of coffee when Toriel came in. She greeted me and I offered her a cup, to which she gladly accepted. We chatted for a bit before she offered to take me to school with her to meet some of the kids. She explained that the kids knew Frisk, but were curious to meet the other humans that had decided to live among them.

I agreed happily, and after a quick breakfast, Toriel, Asgore and I left the house and down the road towards the town. The school was right beside the town park, and there were many parents sitting in the park chatting as their kids ran into the school.

Asgore disappeared behind the school to work on the garden where kids were beginning to learn the basics of botany. I joined Toriel in her classes and Frisk waved at me when I came into the room. She intoduced me to her friend Timmy, a small armless, exuberant monser, and I got to know all of the children. Toriel allowed the children to spend an entire class asking me questions about the surface, about how I'd gotten them this town and many other things about humans.

After the first class, they were reluctantly forced back into a normal class routine, but were quite happy when I joined Toriel in the teaching.

Toriel and I joined Asgore during lunch, and we sat at a remote bench, watching the kids run around their playground. I was pleased that the two of them had gotten closer and closer during the passing months, whatever tension had been plaguing them had all but disappeared.

We sat in the chairs, chatting about the children and our family at home. They attempted to ask me about Rae and myself's family, but I easily deflected any questions that got too personal, or were too difficult to answer.

At the end of the day, we returned to the estate with Frisk, happy with the results of the visit. The children had loved to see me, and now Frisk was even more idolized with the other kids than she had been previously, if that was even possible- much to her delight. She told me the next day how much she liked to brag about her big sisters, and I told her I was so proud to have her as a part of our family, how grateful I was that they had accepted us into theirs.

And as the months passed it became more and more true, and Rae and I truly found where we belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much flirting ;3  
> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Thank you so much for reading. Feedback is welcome :D


	9. Winter

Christmas was right around the corner, and as the months got deeper into winter, the weather got colder and colder, the snow piling high on the world. Frisk decided she wanted to visit the lake by the town, and a few of us agreed to do so with her.

Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Rae and myself, along with Frisk, got as dressed up for the weather as we possibly could be, and hiked out to the lake (about a four hour hike). The view that greeted us was absolutely breathtaking. The snow outside the town was virtually untouched, save for the few disturbances made by animals. It sparkled under the sunlight beautifully, like millions of little diamonds had rained down on the world.

The entire lake was frozen, though the wind had kept most of the snow off the ice. We decided to have a fun day here, playing in the snow. We made a snow igloo and forts, and by the time the day began to wane, we were all exhausted. Alphys and I were chatting quietly by the lake side while Undyne and Papyrus were excitedly talking to Rae. It was a peaceful day, and as the sun sunk lower in the sky, the temperature began to drop.

We were all chatting happily away, and I forgot to keep track of where Frisk was. Just as I was wondering where the kiddo was, my heart nearly stopped at the sound I heard.

There was a loud cracking sound that made my stomach drop and ice shoot through my veins. The sound seemed to amplify in my brain as I realized what it was. Time seemed to slow as my head snapped up. Frisk had wandered out onto the frozen lake and ventured too far out, where the ice was thin. I saw the thin cracks branching out from her, and called out before I could think of anything else.

"FRISK DON'T MOVE!" the panic in my voice made her freeze and everyone else went silent, turning to see what the problem was.

I shot to my feet and ran to the shore of the lake. Frisk stood frozen on the spot, looking down at the cracks beneath her feet fearfully.

"What's wrong!" Undyne shouted, running over.

"The ice is cracking, it won't last long," I explained.

"What's the problem? What will happen if the ice breaks?" Papyrus asked uneasily, his voice unusually quiet.

"If the ice breaks, she'll fall into the water, humans can't swim in temperatures like that," I whispered.

"I'll call Sans," Alphys called, phone already in hand. With his teleportation, he could get Frisk out of there before the ice broke.

"Frisk, I need you to spread you're legs, try to distribute your weight," I instructed. She slowly did as I explained.

"He's not answering!" Alphys said, voice strained from panic, already dialing again.

"Shit, there's no time," I growled.

"I'll get her!" Undyne shouted, moving as though she was going to run right onto the ice.

"No!" I shouted, throwing my arms around her waist to stop her. "If you put too much weight on the ice, it'll break."

"Then what are we supposed to do!" Undyne shouted in frustration.

"Silvy?" Rae asked worriedly as I stepped forward.

"There's no time," I whispered. "Undyne, be ready right here."

"Okay," she quickly agreed, seeing I had a plan.

"Frisk, stay right there, and don't move an inch," I instructed. She nodded her head and I slowly made my way onto the ice from a different angle, avoiding the cracks. I crawled onto my hands and knees and slowly crawled forward as I got closer, ignoring the sting as my skin touched the ice. The wind was beginning to pick up, it stung against my skin, and made my eyes tear up as snowflakes caught in my lashes, blurring my vision.

I slowly crawled forward, mindful of every move. I was so close, so close I could almost touch her, when I heard another shattering crack and I felt the ice tremble beneath me. Looking down, I could see we had no more time.

The ice cracked again, and I knew what would happen. Everything froze. We only had seconds, but it was all I needed. Before I could even think, my body was moving on it's own, launching into a standing position and lunging at Frisk. I wrapped her in my arms and turned, tossing her small form through the air where I remembered Undyne had been.

The last thing I saw as I turned was Frisk landing in Undyne's arms before the ice broke beneath me. For a split second, I saw the panic on everyone's faces before I was dragged under. " _Silvy_!" Rae screamed my name as the black water wrapped around my body.

The cold was instant, and more shocking than anything I had ever felt. It pierced my body like a million tiny knives and I sucked in a surprised breath. The cold water flooded my lungs with a burning pain, and my muscles felt like they were tearing apart. There was an impenetrable blackness all around me. I wondered briefly that I should have been able to see the light coming through the ice, but I couldn't. I couldn't even figure out which direction was up as I struggled and I felt my body sinking deeper, like a dead weight.

I struggled to move my muscles, but they wouldn't respond to me, I struggled to draw in a breath but my lungs wouldn't respond, even as I realized it would be futile anyway. I could see spots in my vision as I struggled to stay conscious. The last thing I felt was a pair of arms wrap around me before I blacked out, positive I wouldn't wake again.

~~~

My mind became aware of several sensations at once as I regained consciousness. The first was that my body was colder than it had ever felt. My clothes were wet and heavy against my skin, and there was a freezing wind around my body, stinging my cheeks and hands. I swore I could feel ice beginning to form on my fingers.

There was a voice, a very familiar voice speaking, the sound of it piercing the darkness I was in, drawing me further to the surface.

"Breathe, Silvy, breathe. Please." The voice sounded unbearably pained, and it caught on the words, panic seeping in, making me more aware.

The next thing I was aware of was something pressed against my lips, and a warm tingling in my chest. I realized as I sputtered and coughed that it had been forcing the water out of my lungs, and that the magic felt somehow familiar.

I became aware of how much my lungs burned, and I drew in the most painful breath I had ever had to draw. The cold air scraped against the insides of my raw throat like razor blades, but the burning in my lungs was a more insistent pain.

As I coughed and attempted to breathe I heard that familiar voice again, relieved now.

"Thank gods. Silvy, can you hear me?"

I peeled my eyes open painfully, and I saw one worried face in particular, right in front of my eyes. For some reason I smiled.

"Sans," I murmured, the sound barely escaping my throat. I heard sighs of relief.

"We have to get her back to the estate," Alphys spoke.

I was vaguely aware of the press on my cheeks, and as Sans drew his hands back I realized he had been cradling my face between them. I felt his arms slide beneath me, and lift my body up effortlessly.

I was beginning to shake, and the pain was becoming unbearable. It was so cold, so why did it burn so badly?

"I can't teleport all the way there, I almost exhausted my magic trying to get here, and now keeping us both from freezing," Sans was saying.

"She can't be out in the cold much longer," Rae was speaking worriedly. I thought I felt a hand on mine, but I couldn't turn. I had buried my face in Sans' shoulder, feeling a bit disappointed when his familiar hoodie wasn't there, just a simple white shirt. I didn't care that the material was just as wet as I seemed to feel.

I could feel the water on my body and in my clothes freezing against my skin. I couldn't control how hard my body was shaking. My teeth were beginning to chatter.

"I'll get her back," Sans swore, and I felt the familiar tingle of magic on my skin. It was unusually painful. I was dimly aware that Sans was running, and there was a slight warmth against my skin, just enough to keep myself from freezing completely. It did nothing to stop the pain or my shaking muscles.

When I raised my eyes, I saw that ice had begun to form on Sans' cheekbones, and he had a very intense expression on his face. It couldn't be that bad, could it? I was beginning to feel warm, and my skin was numb. I could barely feel the pain anymore. I wanted to reach up and touch his cheeks, reassure him that I was okay, but I couldn't move. I wondered for a moment if my hands were even there, as they weren't responding to me. _Of course they are,_ I thought. _Where else would they be._

Everything was beginning to feel hazy, and I could barely feel my body as Sans ran. I knew I should have felt something, but it's like I was disconnected from my body, floating in a warm, numb haze. Occasionally, I could feel magic tingle against my skin, and the world seemed to shift around us. Time didn't seem to matter.

Why was he so worried, I wondered. _I'm fine. I'm warm now. The pain is gone._ I just wanted so badly to sleep, but the occasional jostle and tingle of magic on my skin prevented it. I didn't know how long we ran, and I occasionally became aware that Sans was talking to me, but I didn't know what he saying. I couldn't seem to concentrate on his words, just the sound of his voice. He sounded worried. I wanted so badly to reach out to him, to tell him it was okay. He almost sounded like he crying. But why would he be? I was fine. I was fine.

And I was so, so sleepy. I felt my eyes slide shut, and a warmth seemed to wrap around me, like a thick blanket. I was so comfortable, so warm. I was jostled back a bit by a particularly strong pulse of magic and my eyes snapped open, his voice reaching through my haze, giving me something to focus on.

"Hey! Silvy, you have to stay with me, you have to stay conscious, alright? Look at me," Sans insisted. I raised my eyes to his face again. The points of light in his eyes were locked on my face worriedly. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him look so panicked. There were frozen tear tracks on his cheeks. "Just keep your eyes open, keep them on me, okay?"

I thought I nodded weakly, but I didn't feel it. I must have though, as he looked ahead again, picking up his pace. I wanted so desperately to close my heavy eyelids, but I forced them open, keeping them on his face.

I heard a door slam open, and a warmth washed over my numb body. I could hear Sans calling out, voice distressed. The warmth jarred me to my senses a bit, and I was aware that we were back in the estate.

I was carried into the sitting room, and I felt myself placed on the floor by the fireplace atop a blanket. I saw Mettaton in my vision, watching me with concern. I remembered briefly that Tori and Asgore hadn't been home when we left. I wondered if they knew what happened? They probably did. They would probably be on their way back now. They would want to know that Frisk was alright.

I could feel my skin beginning to tingle painfully. It brought me more to my senses and I saw Sans kneeling next to me watching Mettaton, who was listening to something over the phone.

"We have to remove her wet clothes, and dry her completely," Mettaton was explaining. "Bundle her up, try to get her warm."

Sans was already nodding his head, and his hands began to tug the zipper on my jacket down.

"Help me with this," Sans growled, and Mettaton knelt down beside me, lifting my body so they remove the heavy, wet, slightly frozen material. Mettaton was pulling my shoes off my feet as Sans removed my hat, gloves and scarf. All wet items were tossed away.

My skin was beginning to burn uncomfortably, and it felt like iron hot needles were prickling against my skin. The pain was almost unbearable, but I realized that it was necessary. I needed to get warm.

Sans hands began to lift my shirt before his eyes flew to my face, seeing me watching him.

"Sorry, Silvy," he murmured. Mettaton came and held my body up as they removed the wet material of my sweater. Sans fingers unclasped my bra, swiftly removing the wet garment, and I felt my upper half covered with a plush towel as Mettaton hid my exposed body. He was beginning to rub the water from my skin as Sans hands fumbled with the button on my jeans. He looked up at me apologetically and I gave him a reassuring smile, even as I painfully blushed. I knew it was necessary, but it was embarrassing.

Sans peeled the wet jeans from my legs, and I was grateful when Mettaton immediately moved to cover my intimate parts with a towel.

Once all the wet garments had been stripped, Sans and Mettaton traded places. Mettaton began to rub my legs with the towels and Sans moved to wipe the moisture from my torso, carefully dabbing away any water from my arms, chest and stomach.

Wet towels were discarded and blankets were draped over me. I was wrapped in a fluffy blue hoodie, which was big enough to cover me at least to my knees. A very familiar and comforting hoodie.

My body was burning. It felt like my muscles were on fire as sensation slowly crept back into them. My skin stung painfully and I couldn't hold back a whimper as my body was shifted. The fire was close, but the heat was painful against my skin, not comforting as it seemed it should have been.

"I'm sorry," Sans whispered quietly, hearing my quiet noise of pain as they move me closer to the fire. I heard a slight whooshing sound and felt fingers running through my hair. I realized that what I was hearing was a blow dryer. Mettaton had begun to dry my hair, running his fingers through it as he did so.

I could feel the weight of the blankets against my legs, and the only comfort I had against the heat on my skin was Sans' familiar smell as it wrapped around me. It was cut wood, rain, the smells of the forest, along with the distinctive smoky, salty smell of Grillby's and ketchup. I buried my face further into his hoodie, only dimly aware that he was still sitting right beside me, watching me with worried eyes.

I wasn't really aware of time passing, I just knew Mettaton had finished what he was doing and sat back, and Sans was stoking my hair through his bony fingers, eyes never once moving from my face. The pins and needles were beginning to subside when I heard the loud sound of a door hitting a wall and feet pounding down the hallway.

When I turned my head, I saw our friends rushing into the room, back from the lake. Alphys was clutched on Undyne's back and Frisk was resting on Papyrus's shoulders. Their eyes lit up with relief when they saw me and they all rushed into the room. Rae dropped onto my other side and took one of my hands in hers. Frozen tears were still visible on her cheeks.

I gave Rae a reassuring smile as she took my hand between her cool fingers. "I'm okay, sis," I reassured, my voice coming out huskier than usual. I swallowed painfully as she leaned forward and hugged me.

"Is she?" Sans asked, looking at Alphys. She shuffled over to me and took my hands out from my pile of fluff, examining them. She had become intrigued with human anatomy and medical sciences and had been reading up on it extensively since we settled into the estate.

She examined my hands and then moved to my toes, wiggling them between her fingers.

"Can you feel this?" she asked, poking my big toe with one of her claws. I flinched back, almost pulling my leg from her grasp at the little shock of pain the touch caused.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Good, good," Alphys said, nodding her head. "It's not surprising your skin is going to be sensitive, but it doesn't look like there was any serious damage. I think you'll be okay."

"Are you sure we don't need to get her to a human hospital?" Sans asked.

"No!" I said, rather loudly. Just the thought of stepping foot into a hospital made me panic. "I'm okay. I don't need to go to a hospital. The worst I have is a little hypothermia. I'll be okay," I said more calmly.

"She should be fine, as long as we keep an eye on her," Rae agreed.

"She better be," Sans said under his breath. I wasn't sure anyone else had heard him.

"I think we should let her rest," Alphys suggested. I was beginning to feel exhausted, now that the pain was fading, and thankfully she could tell. I eagerly nodded my agreement, and nestled further into the blankets.

"We should keep her here, close to fire, keep an eye on her," Alphys was explaining. I was already beginning to drift off. A familiar pair of bony fingers was running through my hair again, and it was all I needed to drift off to sleep, with Sans' familiar smell and touch all around me.

~~~

When I woke, I was warm, and the pain was gone. I was really, really warm, and my body was not laying flat anymore. I opened my eyes to see that Sans was holding me in his arms, bundled up as I was. It seems he had fallen asleep leaning against one of the couches, cradling me in my blanket mass in his arms.

I felt a weight on my feet and looked down to see Rae sleeping by his legs, arms wrapped around the end of my blanket, trapping my feet.

I was so hot, but I didn't want to move, I didn't want to disturb either of the people sleeping peacefully around me. I looked around the room and noticed that everyone had fallen asleep in the living room with us. Toriel and Asgore must have returned home while I was unconscious, because they were sleeping on one of the couches as well, with Frisk in their arms.

I shifted a bit to get comfortable, and felt Sans' arms tighten around me. I looked up at his face and saw him watching me with a soft smile tugging the corners of his mouth up.

"You're awake," he said quietly, obviously relieved.

"Yeah, I'm awake," I whispered. I blushed, realizing our faces were almost touching they were so close.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, bring a hand up to cup my face.

"I'm okay, now. A little warm, but okay," I said, giving him a soft, reassuring smile.

"Here," he said with a chuckle, removing some of the blankets that had been draped over me. It was now just the hoodie I was in, and the blankets around my feet which were still trapped in Rae's grip.

"Thank you," I whispered with a relieved sigh as I felt some of the heat dissipate.

"Sure thing," Sans said, and when I looked up at him again he was watching my face intently. "Silvy," he started, voice deeper than usual. The tone his voice took when he was talking about something serious. "Silvy, you almost died. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm not going anywhere," I said with a smile and a reassuring nod.

"You'd better not," Sans growled, hugging me tight to his chest. The seriousness of his tone shocked me.

"I won't," I whispered earnestly. His arms loosened and I bumped my forehead against his cheekbone playfully. His eyes were bright with relief.

"I'm not too heavy, am I? I don't want to move and risk waking Rae, but-"

"No, you're fine," Sans assured me, squeezing me against his ribs. "I wouldn't want you to move."

"Okay," I giggled, and nestled into him, burying my face in the crook of his shoulder. I was so sleepy. His hands had begun to rub comforting circles in my back and soon I drifted off completely.

~~~

When I woke, I felt very warm again. There was a bony hand pressed against my cheek, and Sans was speaking, once again worriedly. I could feel he was still holding me in his arms.

"Is she supposed to feel this warm?" he was asking quietly.

I felt a scaly hand press against my forehead. "No, she's not," Alphys murmured.

"Being out in the cold like that yesterday probably made her sick," Rae said.

I opened my eyes just as Alphys withdrew her hand. "So I got a fever, huh? Guess I shouldn't be surprised." My voice cracked a little with strain, but they must have been able to hear the light-heartedness in my tone cause their faces immediately relaxed.

"My dear," Toriel spoke, pushing forward. "Thank you so much for what you did for Frisk," Toriel leaned down and hugged me, and effectively Sans as I was still being held by him.

"Of course, I wasn't just going to do nothing," I said. Right as Toriel drew back, Frisk pushed her way into my vision, signing furiously.

_I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to go out on the ice! I didn't know it would break like that! I didn't mean to put you in danger-_

"Frisk, calm down, it's okay," I said, wrapping her hands between mine. She was looking at me with wide eyes, tears coming to them. "I'm okay, now you know not to do it again, right?" She nodded her head furiously, hair flying. "Good, now come here." I pulled her in for a hug, greatly relieved that she was alright.

"Dear, I will make you some soup," Toriel said with smile before rushing out of the room.

"What kind of tea would like?" Asgore asked, smiling down at me kindly.

"Chamomile is her favorite," Rae supplied. "With milk and honey. It should help with the sore throat I've no doubt she has."

I smiled at Rae and Asgore nodded, quickly following Toriel out of the room. After squeezing my hand, Rae got up to join them, and help make sure the food was made my favorite way, and Frisk joined her. After making sure that I would be okay, and promises to come back later, everyone else departed to do their normal daily tasks. Sans didn't once move, or make any inclination to move from where he was.

I shifted in his arms, tried to get off, I was sure I must be making him uncomfortable now, I'd been on his lap all night. But he only tightened his grip on me, shifting me so I was facing forward, still pressed against his ribs and fully in his lap now, arms creating a vice with no escape. Not that I wanted to escape all that badly. He was surprisingly comfortable, and I could feel the faint thrum on magic in his bones, though it seemed weaker than usual.

"More comfortable now?" he asked.

"I wasn't uncomfortable," I said quietly.

"Good," he said, hugging me more tightly.

"Aren't I making you uncomfortable? I've kind of been laying on you all night."

"Not at all," he said, giving me another squeeze. "You're very light, and warm."

"Using me as your own personal space heater, I see how it is," I said with a giggle, and I felt him chuckle.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, voice more serious.

"Well, I'm kinda really hot-"

"Yes, yes you are," he said in a low, raspy voice, right by my ear, as though he'd leaned forward. I felt his breath on my neck and shivered.

" _Ha ha_ , don't tease me," I said, turning around to bump my forehead against his cheekbone, acting nonchalant despite the way my stomach was fluttering. He didn't need to know that. "I'm already flustered enough as it is, I don't need to be any warmer. Besides, I'm sick, you have to be nice to me."

He chuckled, and I swore his cheekbones were blue but he shifted me again, facing me forward just as Toriel and them entered the room carrying trays of food and tea.

I ate the soup gratefully, downing my cup of tea, and was re-bundled up in blankets, much to my displeasure, to sweat out this cold.

All through the day we watched movies and anime and Sans didn't once let me get up. As the day continued, everyone else piled into the room.

A few days later, my cold had completely passed, and all traces of the event were gone, though Sans continued, more insisted, on fussing over me for at least the following week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, don't go swimming in frozen lakes in the middle of winter. So not fun.  
> Also, Sans is a huge fucking sweetheart.  
> Thank you, lovely readers, for enjoying and feedback is always welcome :3


	10. Bonding Time with Sans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some nice bonding time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't that long, but I figured everyone else had bonding time with Sylvie, time for some Sans bonding time. You're welcome ;p . Unfortunately no smut. Yet. All in good time.

It was an early winter day, a day for laziness. The house was almost completely empty, as everyone else had business in the town, for one reason or another. I decided to just relax, and made it a day for rest.

I lounged on my bed, feet in the air, with my sketchpad and charcoal in hand and music blaring in my ears. I had drawn my curtains tight, and the only light came from the fire crackling in the fireplace and the white lights above my head.

I didn't hear the knock at my door, or the following entrance until I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin, smudging the drawing I had been working on.

Removing my headphones, I rolled over and saw Sans standing by my bed with his usual smile on his face, watching me with amusement.

"Hey, what's up?" I said in greeting.

"Nothing much, whatcha drawing there?" he asked, eyeing my sketchpad. Looking back at the paper, I blushed. I'd been drawing all of my monster family, trying to get down all their individual details, the entire sketchpad was full of them. Of course Sans had to show up when I was on the page that was full of attempted drawings of him.

"Just, you know, drawing some stuff," I said lamely, sitting up.

"I can see that," he said a chuckle. "Need a model?"

"No," I answered quickly. With a sigh, I turned the sketchpad towards him. "I was trying to draw all of you," I explained, flipping through the pages, showing him everyone else I had drawn. "Monster anatomy is interesting, so I thought I'd draw you guys. I was just getting to yours but. . ."

"But?" he asked when I paused.

"Well, I wasn't sure exactly how to draw you," I explained. "I've never really seen too much of you or your brother, and I didn't want to just make assumptions about how you guys looked. So I was having some trouble." I gestured to the page full of attempted drawings of him.

"So, you're saying you want to see more of me?" he asked teasingly, winking at me when I looked at him, causing me to blush.

"That's not what I meant at all," I said, indignant. "But. . . yeah."

"If you wanted a model, all you had to do was ask," he chuckled, sitting on my bed beside me, leaning back on his arms.

"Well, I was curious, but I didn't want to come off as rude or over step any boundaries."

"Trust me, you're not over stepping any boundaries," Sans assured me, giving me a softer smile.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I would like a model," I agreed. "But, this is purely for artistic and scientific reasons," I clarified.

"Of course," Sans quickly agreed. "But, I want to make a deal."

"Oh? What kind of deal?" I asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Whatever you get to observe, I get to observe. If I take an article of clothing off, so do you," he bargained.

"You're interested in me?"

"Of course. Monsters are just as curious about humans as you are about us. I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to learn more. What do you say?" he asked. He gave me a sly smile as I considered. _Well, as long as it's for_ scientific _reasons._

"Okat, it's a deal," I agreed.

"Alright." And he waited, leaning back, watching for what I'd do next.

I pulled my sketchpad into my lap, flipping to a blank page. I decided to start easy. I grabbed one of his hands between mine, and began examining it. His bones were smooth and soft under my fingers, room temperature and thrumming slightly. Little heartbeat-like pulses, vibrated slightly beneath my fingertips. Magic.

His eyes watched me intently as I examined his hands. I stroked his fingers, feeling the ridges of his bones, his palm, his wrist. The bones were thicker than a normal human skeleton's would be, and they were fused together, keeping the individual pieces connected without the need for flesh. Keeping one of his hands in mine, I picked up my charcoal in another and began sketching. I drew his hands, drawing every little detail, making multiple sketches, all from different angles so I made sure I had a reference to it all.

As my sketch of his hands was nearing completion, his hand gripped mine, turning it over, examining my fingers much like I had examined his. He rolled my knuckles between his bony fingers, squeezing the flesh of my palm, and ran his fingers over the bone of my wrist.

"Why do you grow your fingernails out so long?" he asked, stroking a nail.

"I had this nervous habit of biting them off when I was kid. Sometimes the habit was so bad, I'd make my fingers bleed," he looked up at me, a bit worriedly, when I said that. "It was never really comfortable having short nails like that. So I forced myself to stop. I've grown my nails long ever since. Something about long nails now is comforting to me."

"Hmm," was all he said, eyes turning back to my hands. He was rolling my fingers between his, feeling the bones beneath my skin. He ran his bony fingers over the veins on the back of my hand, and then flipped it over, examining my palm. His fingers moved to my wrist, pressing into my skin much like he had done to my palm, and then his fingers stilled, pressing into the soft flesh, concentrating on something.

"Can you feel my pulse?" I asked, realizing what he must be concentrating on.

"Is that what that is?" he asked, looking up at me with a curious sparkle in his sockets. I placed a finger between his, and felt my pulse beating faintly beneath my skin.

"Yeah," I said with a soft laugh. Something about his fascination with something as simple as a pulse was amusing and adorable at the same time. "There are other places where you can feel my pulse. Here." I lifted on my his hands and pressed it into the soft skin of my throat, letting him feel the much stronger pulse there.

His sockets widened and he tilted his head, concentrating on the feeling beneath his fingers.

"There are a couple places where you feel a pulse like that," I explained. "Doctors and people use them to tell whether a person is alive or not if their injured or unconscious. The main ones are wrist, elbow, throat, and a place in our hip-ish area." I explained, pointing them all out. His cheeks seemed to tint blue when I pressed my fingers into the soft skin of my leg joint, pointing out the pulse area there.

"It's fascinating. Is there a reason you can feel it in these particular places?" he asked, fingers still pressed against my neck.

"Well, the skin is thin, and there's major veins in those areas, so you can feel the pulse more strongly."

"A major vein?"

"Yeah, a vein that's sort of larger than others, carries more blood. They're sort of crucial. If a major artery is cut a person will bleed out much faster than if another vein is injured. You'll sometimes see in human shows and movies that if a person is injured in these spots on their neck, arm or leg, it's usually a pretty big problem. Big arteries that are nicked are harder to repair, and a person can lose blood fast that way," I explained. "Without blood, we are kind of screwed."

He nodded his head, thinking it over. I put my hand on his, and slid it down, so his palm was resting on my chest, right over my heart. His sockets widened when he felt it beating beneath his palm.

"It's just a heartbeat," I said with a giggle, seeing the wonder on his face.

"This one heartbeat means that you're alive," Sans said softly. "It's. . . comforting to feel it in a way." He chuckled lightly, shifting his hand so it was resting over the center of my chest, where my soul would be.

"Yeah, I understand. I used to let my sister just listen to my heart when she was little and had nightmares. I do the same for Frisk. Something about it is. . . very comforting indeed," I said, nodding my head in agreement.

I'd occasionally pressed my ear to my sisters chest to listen to her heart. Something about listening to it beat, strong and healthy, was so reassuring. Knowing that the person I loved was alive and healthy beneath me just brought so much solace.

"Now, off with your hoodie," I commanded, changing the subject. His hand slipped from my chest and he smiled at me.

"You first."

Remembering our deal, I lifted my sweater off my head, leaving myself in just a tank and my bra. He slid his hoodie off his shoulders, letting is drape on the bed behind us. I quickly set to work, examining his arm much like I had his fingers, sketching it as I went along. He did the same, often squishing my flesh between his fingers and kneading any bones he felt.

When my hand got to his shoulder, I stopped, contemplating. I began to sketch his face, trying not to blush as I examined him so closely, his watching eyes so close. I lifted a hand hesitantly, running my fingers along his jaw, lifting it. Unlike a normal skeleton, there was smooth bone beneath his chin. I ran my fingers along his cheek bone and to edge of his mouth. His cheekbones were dusting blue again, his eyes glued to me as he watched me.

He wasn't smiling at the moment, and bone had drawn over his teeth similar to how lips do, obscuring them. I drew one finger across his mouth and looked at him questioningly. There was definitely blue on his cheekbones now, and it made me flush a little.

Seeing what I wanted, he opened his mouth, his teeth parting to let me see. His teeth were almost canine-like in appearance, and there was a faint blue light seeping between the open gap of his teeth. Must be his tongue, I thought. I quickly began to sketch him again, a bit surprised that I'd never noticed how his teeth looked before. Then again, it wasn't really easy to see them when he was just talking or smiling.

I was so distracted by my drawing I didn't even pay attention when I reached out a hand, running my fingers over the sharp teeth. I squeaked in surprise when I felt a warm, smooth, wet tongue flick out and lick my hand.

"Did-did you just lick me?" I asked, having quickly drawn my hand back at the surprising sensation.

"Well, you did stick your hand in my mouth," Sans said, chuckling at my reaction. I was definitely blushing now, the blush only deepening when he eyed me teasingly.

"Well. . . yeah, I guess I did. Sorry about that, I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing," I said, smiling sheepishly. I noticed the thin trail of saliva on my hand was slightly blue in color before I wiped my hand across my jeans.

He only chuckled. "It's no problem. But you do remember what you agreed to right?"

I blushed. Seeing that I was done with my sketches, he reached out his hands, cupping my face between them. I acted as nonchalant as I could, but I could do nothing about the slight pink to my cheeks or the way my heartbeat suddenly picked up in pace.

He traced my jaw between his fingers, running his thumbs over my cheeks and nose and under my eyes, raising his hands to trace my eyebrows and temples with his fingers. I managed to keep my breathing even and my blush mostly under control, and I prayed he couldn't hear my heart.

Cupping my face, he looked into my eyes and I noticed his gaze flickering between them, examining their mismatched color, making me feel a bit self conscious. But there was nothing but wonder and warmth in the way he looked at me.

My blush deepened when he trailed a bony finger across my lips, tracing the shape beneath his fingertips. My lips parted slightly, almost of their own accord, and I noticed he shivered slightly when my breath washed over his fingers. One finger poked between my lips and I obediently parted my jaw. He lightly traced my teeth, lightly tapping the more sharp ones curiously, examining them.

I was so tempted to flick out my tongue and lick his fingers. I wanted to know what his bones would feel like, what they would taste like. But I resisted the urge and he drew his hand back. I closed my mouth and gave him a smile. He finally, almost reluctantly?, drew his hands away, waiting to see what I'd do next.

And I made a decision. I was too curious not to push further. I slid my tank over my head, grateful that I'd worn a more lacy bra that day. His hands slid to hem of his t-shirt and paused. I saw uncertainty in his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, picking up on his sudden nerves.

"Nothing, just. . ." he chuckled nervously. "Not sure you'll like what you see."

I blinked, surprised. I didn't expected him to suddenly be self conscious about it. I mean, I was the one sitting in front of him in only a bra. But I gave him a warm smile to ease his nerves, and reached out a hand, grabbing the edge of his shirt.

"Do you not like what you see?" I asked, nodding down at my own body.

"The exact opposite, actually," he answered quickly and then blushed. I could tell he hadn't meant to give such an honest answer.

"Well, let's take this off, and I can decide whether or not I like what I see," I suggested. I drew his shirt up and over his head, letting it drop to the bed with the rest of our discarded pieces. I wasn't disappointed in the least. And he must have seen that on my face, as I saw him relax.

His bones were pristine and, again, much larger in structure than a normal skeleton would be. He was the literal definition of big boned.

I absently ran a finger over his collar bone and felt him shudder under the touch. I drew my hand back quickly, concerned.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked, worried.

He let out a shaky breath. "No, just got sensitive bones is all." He chuckled, and something about the sound was different, deeper, and made my stomach flutter nervously. His eyes were watching me intently, examining my every reaction. There was a hint of uncertainty in the gaze, but also something else, something that made goose bumps raise on my skin and sent a shiver up my spine.

 _Gods damnit, get your mind out of the gutter,_ I cursed at myself, getting back to business. I picked up my pencil, and continued to sketch him. This time, I was careful to keep my hands to myself, tempted as I was to touch him, I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. Though I did lean close at times to examine him. His eyes remained glued to me, often traveling down my body, examining me much the way I was examining him.

When I was done and put my pencil down he raised a hand, letting it hover between us.

"Do you mind if I. . .?" he paused, looking down at my body. I could tell what he wanted. "I know you didn't, but-"

I grabbed his hand and put it against my ribs, giving him a reassuring smile." I don't mind."

His fingers brushed across my ribs, and he almost seemed to be counting them as his fingers trailed down my side. He pulled back in shock when one of his touches tickled me, making me jump and squeak in surprise.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized, uncertain what he had done.

"It's okay," I reassured him. "That just tickled is all. I am sort of ticklish. And by that I mean, very ticklish."

I saw a mischievous smile tug at his mouth and his eyes glinted. "Oh, are you now?" he asked, slowly reaching his hand back.

"I am warning you now, I get violent when tickled, and any injuries you get are your own fault if you try to tickle me," I warned him, catching his hand before it could get at my ribs.

He only chuckled. "Alright, alright. I won't tickle you. For now." He smiled evilly at me as I glared at him, but I released his hand, and it continued it's slow path across my torso. His fingers trailed down my side, and pressed against my hip bone, which was sticking out above my jeans. One hand slowly reached around, his fingers pressing against the base of my spine, and then slowly trailing upward, feeling the nobs of my spine beneath his fingers.

His hand trailed up between my shoulder blades, and the position forced us closer together, his face right in front of mine, so close I could feel his warm breath against my cheeks. His fingers brushed across my shoulder blades and I rolled my shoulders, giggling when he placed the flat of his hand on my back, feeling how they moved beneath my skin, seeming fascinated with it.

He drew his hand through my hair once before withdrawing his fingers, leaning back again. His cheeks were flushed blue, and there was a bead of sweat on his skull.

"I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?" he asked breathily. I just shook my head, meeting his eyes. I was hyper aware of just how close we still were. I would only have to lean forward a short distance and our faces would touch.

The silence remained for a few seconds. If he couldn't hear my heart beat before, he definitely could now, it was beating so loudly. His eyes were locked with mine, and I felt trapped in his gaze. Right when he opened his mouth to speak, my phone vibrated loudly, causing both of us to jump.

I quickly reached over and pulled it off my nightstand, seeing one text from Rae. Her, Papyrus and Undyne were home, and waiting in the kitchen.

"Well, look's like someone's home. And they need my help in the kitchen," I said,surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded as I turned to Sans. "Looks like we're going to have to cut this artistic session short. Though I think I got most of what I needed."

I smiled at him and he gave me a warm smile back. I was relieved to see his eyes had lost a bit of that intentisty, though I did note there was disappointment in his eyes. We quickly drew our clothes on and joined our friends downstairs.

After the evening had finished, I went to our gym, eager to work out this pent up energy the day with Sans had caused, eager to work myself into exhaustion so I could forget about the ache that had begun between my legs.

After my work out and shower, I collapsed into my bed, burying my face in my pillow. _How the_ _hell can a_ freaking skeleton _be so damn sexy._ I groaned loudly, the sound muffled by my pillow. The workout had exhausted my muscles, but that ache had persisted. I swore I could feel my heart beat between my legs, and cursed at myself. _We're best friends. I can't do anything to_ _jeopardize that_. I continued to scold myself, ashamed at my own weakness. My rational mind knew that it was completely natural to feel this way, even if I wasn't allowed to feel this way about _him._

But something about it still made me feel weak, made me feel dirty. I swallowed as I felt that familiar presence in my mind, pushing away the voice before it could even speak. I turned over in my bed angrily, and grabbed my headphones, immediately turning my music to blasting volumes. I couldn't even hear myself think it was so loud. Which was exactly what I needed. Thinking was the last thing I needed to be doing right now.

I lay in bed for hours, and eventually fell asleep like that, waking up the next morning determined to forget the previous day had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you lovely readers continue to enjoy my story. Feedback is always welcome of course :D  
> Quick edit: Also, for anyone interested, I do have a tumblr now for anyone who has questions/requests/comments.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/slyph-silver-2772  
> I, unfortunately, cannot draw worth shit, much as I would like to, I just use it for liking/occasionally reblogging things I find cute,funny or just plain cool. So feel free to hit me up with anything, I am very friendly :D


	11. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter, to make up for the short last chapter. Enjoy~ :D

It was dark. Dark and empty. Not simply darkness, but like a lack of light. A lack of _anything_. I couldn't feel myself, I couldn't feel _anything_. Just the endless darkness I suddenly found myself in.

_Where am I?_

Nothing answered me. I felt like I was floating in that emptiness for an eternity. Nothing seemed to matter, not time, not feeling, nothing. The lack of senses was driving me insane but I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't _feel_. The silence itself was deafening. I didn't even know how that was possible. It weighed heavily on my senses, making me feel as though I had gone deaf. But it was more than that. It was like the silence was heavy, pressing against my senses almost painfully.

Finally, _finally_ something began to change. I could feel a cold presence against my skin. It was so cold. Colder than I could remember feeling. Cold in a new kind of way. When I'd plunged into the lake in the middle of winter, that had been cold. Painfully so, but this was different. A new kind of cold that seemed to press deeper than any cold against my body could. It made me feel numb. Made my soul feel numb.

And then a sound came to my senses, slowly. It was building, as though it were having trouble reaching me, as though the dark air, or whatever was around me, was thick. And as I thought that, I suddenly felt it, a press against me, a thick weight against my consciousness. It almost felt like a pressure against my skin, but I couldn't feel my body.

The sound reached out to me, and it sound like. . . static? Static. It was indecipherable, and as I contemplated what it could be, the sound pressed against my ears insistently, as though it were trying to make me listen harder. It got louder, making me feel fuzzy as I listened to it.

I couldn't understand, and the sound just got louder, as though increasing in volume would somehow make it easier to understand. The sound pressed against me, louder than anything I could physically hear. It was painful. If I had hands, I would have been pressing them to my ears to stifle the sound, but I couldn't. And it was so loud, so deafeningly loud. I was sure the sound _would_ make me deaf. I screamed, but no sound came out. I had no voice, no lungs that I could feel. But it seemed to understand, and the sound lessened.

I could feel suddenly that I was not alone in this place. As the pain faded I felt the presence press against me, almost comfortingly. It seemed to be apologizing.

As I floated in that darkness, sensation began to return to me. I could feel my body again, to some degree. It was muted, dull, like my body was light, almost misty, but I could feel _something_ and it brought me comfort.

Seeming to sense that I had relaxed, the form reached out to me again, and seemed to take my hand. I felt it press against me again, and it touched my forehead. The pressure from my fingers eased and I felt it again as it pressed against the skin of my chest. And suddenly that sound turned into more. It sounded like a garbled voice speaking through the static, but I couldn't quite understand the words.

The voice repeated what it had said, more insistently this time. It was a little more clear, but I still couldn't make it out.

Suddenly, that hand raised again, and pressed against my chest insistently. And fear filled me. Fear and pain. More pain than I could ever remember feeling. It felt like my body was tearing itself apart, like every cell was burning up, like my muscles were tearing and pulling against each other, like my bones were shattering and glass ran through the veins, tearing me apart from the inside. A pain bloomed in my head, and it felt as though there was an indecipherable energy pressing against the insides of my skull, cracking it. I screamed and thrashed in panic but the form refused to release me. The pain increased, radiating from my center, from my soul. The pain coursed through my veins, searingly hot and icy cold all at once. Every pain I could imagine seemed to be attacking my body.

I screamed and thrashed, and it seemed at though it would never stop. It felt as though I'd been in pain for an eternity. And then it increased, if that was even possible, and a booming voice echoed in my head. I realized suddenly that it had been speaking to me in that garbled tongue again, but I'd been in too much pain to hear it. It was speaking too loudly for me to ignore now, even despite my pain. And then, I _could_ hear it. The words struck me like a blow. I felt them shake my whole being with their power, filling me with an indescribable, heart wrenching fear.

**_. . . you have to stop the resets. . ._ **

An image, a face flashed in my vision as I jerked awake in my bed, drenched in sweat and trembling. A scream caught in my throat and choked me. I drew in a ragged breath, the pain coursing through my body. Hands trembling, still caught in the dream, I reached for the notebook and charcoal beside my bed, my hands moving of their own accord, scrawling across the paper furiously. I didn't even see, couldn't even feel what I was doing through all the pain that wracked my body.

As the dream and pain faded, I dropped my notebook in shock, clutching my hands to my sides and squeezing my eyes shut.

_What the hell just happened? I've never had a nightmare like that before._

I paused as I thought about the dream, my body shaking, and chills coursing across my skin despite the heat of the room. As I came down from the distortion of the dream, clarity came to me slowly.

I squeezed my hands against my sides, and focused on bringing my body back under control. My shaking stopped and my breathing slowly evened out. _Okay, think. This was just a nightmare. Nothing to be so concerned about. I get them all the time._

But this was different, and I knew it. I forced myself to remember the dream, ignoring the chills that coursed across my skin as I recalled that pain I had felt. And then I paused as I recalled something. Something that seemed very important, and I didn't even know why.

_What did the voice mean when it said stop the **resets**? What **resets**? What does that even mean? _

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. In front of me, laying on my lap, was a page of my journal. It was been nearly blacked out with my pencil. I was surprised it hadn't broken it had been pressed into the page so roughly. Right in the center of the page, was a face. A cracked face and two small hands, with holes in the center. He looked. . . very skeletal like. But he seemed different from the skeletal monsters that I knew. His form was cracked and broken, and seemed almost to be melting in the darkness of the picture.

The very image made my stomach clench painfully and sent a pain piercing through my head, making me groan in discomfort. I closed my eyes, trying to push away the pain the picture caused. I quickly flipped the notebook closed and tossed it under my bed.

I crawled out from under my covers, and rushed out of my room. I didn't know where I was going, but I couldn't just sit still anymore, and I definitely wasn't going back to sleep. I padded down the hallway, and had to force myself to stop. I leaned against the wall, sliding the floor as I forced myself to think rationally.

_This was just a dream. Another nightmare. Nothing more. I shouldn't let it panic me so much._

But I couldn't help but feel panicked. The only nightmares I had ever had were of. . . my past. I'd always dreamt of those things, or terrifying what if's, nothing more. This was a first, and it was unnerving. _Its just my mind's way of messing with me. I was pushing away all the other nightmares too easily so it decided to step up it's game to fuck with me more._

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm. I rose and padded quietly down the hall, and all the way down stairs until I was outside. I knew the air outside had to be hot, it was the beginning of summer, but I was so chilled from my dream, it just felt comfortably warm, making me shiver. I walked the lawn of our house, looking up at the stars, letting the peacefulness of the night ease my rattled nerves.

I don't know how long I stood out there, but eventually I decided I couldn't stay out here forever, and made my way back into the house. I decided I needed some calming chamomile tea. I quickly put some water on to boil, and pulled some out, mixing milk and honey into the tea when it was all done.

I quietly made my way back to my room with the warm cup clenched between my cold fingers. I felt exhausted, my entire body aching, and I almost didn't hear the sound that washed gently down the hall. But I heard it, or maybe sensed it. It made me freeze and I looked down the hall as my gut clenched in worry. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

I walked down the length of the hallway, and I realized the sound was coming from Sans' room. Although, his was the only room in this hall on this floor, so I didn't know where else I expected it to be coming from.

The sound was muffled but I could tell it sounded distressed, and as I neared his room, I saw a faint cyan glow emanating faintly from under his door. I rushed forward and quietly eased it open, peering inside as my stomach did flips.

"Sans?" I whispered quietly. I didn't get a response, and I slowly eased the door open so I could see properly into the room. My stomach dropped and my heart clenched painfully at the sight that greeted me.

Sans was on his back on his bed, trashing as though he were in pain. The blankets had been kicked off the bed, and the room was aglow with magic. Cyan and gold flames licked up the sides of his skull and flickered across the fingers that were fisted in his sheets. He was obviously in pain, and the sight made my heart clench. I rushed into the room and set my cup down on a table by the door before rushing to his bed.

"Sans?" I asked, a little more loudly, but not wanting to startle him. He only moaned painfully, trashing against the bed. I was surprised it hadn't caught on fire, but I supposed it was because they were magical flames. "Sans!" I repeated more loudly, my panic creeping into my voice. I leaned forward hesitantly, and placed a hand on his gently.

Suddenly, his sockets shot open. One was frighteningly dark, the other was swirling with the same magical flames. His face twisted in pain and rage and when his head whipped my way, it was like he saw right through me. I felt magic wrap around my body, constricting painfully against my skin before I was thrown back. I didn't even have to time to comprehend what had happened before I was thrown out of the open door and crashed painfully against the wall across the hall.

Pain lanced up my back and the breath knocked out of my lungs. Before I could blink, he was in front of me, face twisted in anger, lips drawn back from his teeth in an almost anamilistic way. He was terrifying, the very sight of his twisted grimace made my stomach flip nervously as fear turned my blood cold.

He wrapped a bony hand around my throat angrily, squeezing. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. His magic pressed against my skin, but it wasn't warm and tingly like usual, no it was cold and prickled against my skin like burning hot needles, pressing against me painfully tightly.

"Sans-" I gasped, hands reflexively raising to grab at his fingers. His grip only tightened, and he let out a growl. The sound was bestial and angry. I couldn't speak. I clutched at his fingers as my lungs burned. I couldn't speak through his grip, and I did the only thing I could think of. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was the only thing that came to my panicked mind.

I pulled my own soul out of my chest. I don't even know how I did it, I just did. I willed it out, and it complied. It floated out of my chest, and it was swirling with blue colors. Sans face twisted when he saw it, his grip tightening around my throat. My vision was beginning to turn white, and my lungs were screaming for air. Before my vision could fade to black, I saw a flicker of recognition cross his features, and then shock.

He released me suddenly and I fell painfully to the floor, drawing a gasping, painful breath. The relief was much greater than the pain. I looked up at him and saw that his face had gone from twisted anger to sheer panic. He was staring down at me in abject horror.

"Silvy!" He suddenly gasped, and knelt down beside me, placing a concerned hand to the side of my head. I couldn't help it when I flinched, and I saw him pull his hand back, his face twisting in guilt. "I'm sorry," he choked out, and then I felt a strange pressure against my skin, a slight tingle. Before he could do what I knew he was going to, I latched onto his arm and he stopped, looking down at me worriedly.

"You're not going anywhere!" I said forcefully, my voice sounding raspy from my lack of air. Sans' face twisted in guilt and he attempted to pull his arm out of my grasp.

"Silvy," he choked out, sounding panicked. Before he could forcefully pull himself away, I pulled myself up, wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight hug. He froze in my tight grip, still kneeling on the floor.

"You're not going anywhere," I whispered. His bones were trembling under me and he struggled a bit, trying weakly to free himself from my hug. I refused to relent and he sighed, letting himself settle against the floor weakly.

His skull was pressed into my hair, and his shaking refused to stop. He hadn't raised his arms to return my embrace, he just sat limply against the floor as he shook, as though he were too exhausted to move, which was the complete opposite of how he seemed just moments ago.

I felt a dampness against my skin and I realized he was crying. I stroked his skull gently and felt him shake. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay," I whispered, trying to be soothing. My voice only seemed to make him shake harder.

"It's not okay," he growled, voice raspier than usual, and filled with anger, though now it seemed directed at himself. "I hurt you."

"I'm fine," I reassured him. I felt him struggle to pull out of my grip again, and tightened my arms, pressing my cheek against his skull. I was practically laying in his lap as he tried to pull away from me.

"You-"

"No, no more arguing," I said firmly, drawing back enough to look into his eyes. I cupped his cheek bones between my hands and I could feel the wetness of his tears against my skin. I was relieved to see that his eyes had returned to normal, if somewhat dimmer than usual.

He looked exhausted and drained. I wiped the tears from his cheekbones with my thumbs and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead. He shook and raised his hands, placing them on my sides. The touch was feather light, as though he were trying to push me away but was either too weak or too reluctant to do so.

I leaned back and stood up, keeping his face between my hands, forcing him to look up at me. "Come on, on your feet. I'm getting you back into bed."

"Silvy-" he protested, his face creasing in guilt again.

I shook my head. "No arguments, Sans." I tugged on his cheeks gently, urging him to stand. He sighed heavily and rose slowly to his feet, as though his body were heavy. I wrapped my arms around his ribs to help support him and slowly eased him back into his room, kicking the door shut with my foot before leading him to his bed.

He plopped onto it reluctantly. He was avoiding looking at me, and his face was creased in worry and shame. I placed my hands on his shoulders trying to make him look at me. He continued to keep his face turned, and I sighed.

"You wait here," I ordered. "And if you even think about teleporting away, you are going to be in very big trouble, understand bone boy?"

He finally turned his head to look at me, expression somewhat surprised, and seeing my stern expression, just nodded his head. I walked back towards the door, and grabbed the cup I had placed on the table, walking back to him with it's warmth between my hands.

"Here," I said, holding it out to him.

He sighed heavily. "Silvy-"

Before he could protest further I grabbed one of his hands in mine and placed the cup in it. "No arguing. Drink it."

I sat down beside him on the bed and he held the cup in his hands, looking down at it silently. "Sans, I swear if you don't drink the tea, I will beat you with this pillow." I said lifting one of his pillows in my hands threateningly.

He almost cracked a smile as he turned to look at me, eyeing the pillow I had clutched like a weapon between my hands. When he opened his mouth to speak, I could practically see the apologies forming.

"If this pillow isn't good enough incentive, know that once I am done beating you with its fluffiness, I will gladly cuddle you to death. And I will not relent unless you beg for mercy."

This time he did crack a tiny smile. "Death by hugs?"

"Damn straight. Now drink." He sighed heavily and shook his head, knowing he wouldn't win this argument, and finally raised the cup to his mouth to drink.

I shifted till I was behind him, and wrapped my legs around his side, placing the pillow between my lap so I wasn't pressed right up against him as I raised my hands and rubbed them up his spine. I felt him shake beneath my fingers and heard him sputter as he choked on the tea, half turning to me.

"Silvy, what are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a back rub, or spine rub. Whatever. Now turn around and drink your tea, and just let it happen."

"Silvy, you don't have to-"

"No, but I want to. Shh, just let it happen." I rubbed his shoulders gently, and he shivered again, facing back forward and sipping on the tea as I gave him a back rub, or rather rib rub/shoulder blades rub?. I raised my hands and lifted myself up on my knees a bit to better reach his skull, rubbing the back of it gently. He groaned at the sensation and slumped forward a bit.

I giggled. "You act like you've never had a head rub before."

"I haven't. I've never had a back rub either," he mumbled, his voice sounding comfortingly blissful as I massaged his skull under my fingers.

"That is blasphemy of the highest order. There are few things better than head rubs and massages." He chuckled lightly at my offended tone and chugged down the rest of the tea, setting it on the bedside table before leaning slightly back against me. I continued to massage him until the little tremors that had shook him since the incident in the hallway faded completely and his breathing became deep and even. I could almost swear he was asleep.

"Feeling better?" I asked, placing my hands on his shoulders again.

"Yes. But you really shouldn't have." His voice sounded a bit pained and I squeezed his shoulders reassuringly.

"I wanted to. You obviously weren't having very good dreams, and I wanted to help."

He sighed heavily, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his shoulders slumping. "Silvy, I hurt you. You can't just let me get away with that."

"You didn't hurt me," I insisted.

He scoffed. "How much do you wanna bet you're going to have bruises on your neck tomorrow? If not anywhere else."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he had a point. I probably would. Rather than trying to argue, I simply said, "So what, I'll have a few bruises. It's no big deal. I've had worse. And I know you didn't mean it."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I know you would never hurt me," I said softly, leaning forward to drape my arms over his shoulders in a hug as he buried his face in his hands.

"Were you even looking at me? I was completely out of control. You should be afraid of me, not hugging me right now."

"Sorry to disappoint you bone boy, but there's not much you could say or do to make me afraid of you," I teased. It wasn't lightening his mood.

"I'm a monster. And I could have easily killed you. And what the hell were you thinking, Silvy? Pulling a stunt like that? What made you think it was a good idea to pull your soul out when a monster was attacking you? You only made yourself more vulnerable. I could have easily lashed out. If I'd hit your soul-"

"But you didn't."

"I could have," he growled, turning to look at me, his face angry again, his left socket glowing blue. "Even if I hadn't meant to, if I'd hit your soul, you would have died."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I realized he was right. His magic was too unstable, too powerful. It probably would have killed me, or at the very least, done a serious amount of damage. Instead of arguing, I shook my head, simply trying to argue against his anger.

"You should be angry with me, you should hate me. You shouldn't just be forgiving me so easily-"

"Sans," I said firmly, grabbing his hands, which had been clenched into tight fists against the sheets, between mine. His anger was flaring up, and his magic was responding. "It was an accident. I startled you out of an obviously bad nightmare. I know you didn't mean to lash out at me. I know you would never hurt me." I raised my hands, cupping his face again. I could feel his magic as it tingled against my fingers. "I'm not forgiving you, because there's nothing to forgive."

His anger was slipping, as though he were too exhausted to hold onto it, and he slumped against me a bit. One of my legs was resting against his spin, the other in his lap as he half turned to me. He sighed heavily as he allowed me to pull him into another hug, resting his head against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, but I shushed him before he could continue the thought.

"Shh, there's nothing to be sorry for," I insisted, placing a feather light kiss against the side of his skull. He shivered a bit against me.

"Well, I'm sorry anyway."

I pat his head gently, consolingly.

"Ya know, I know I shouldn't have just bust into your room like I did, but don't ya think slamming me against a wall was a bit of an overreaction?" He raised his head to say something, and I could tell he was going to try to apologize again. "Cause when I imagined you slamming me against a wall this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," I whispered, smiling at him teasingly. He seemed to jerk a bit in surprise, and his cheekbones flared up blue, glowing in the darkness of the room. I laughed seeing how flustered he got. "See, now that's much better. I'd rather have you bashful than guilty."

Realizing I was teasing him, he only blushed harder, sighing exasperatedly. He opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted him.

"And if you keep trying to apologize, I will keep teasing you. And you won't like it one bit," I whispered warningly, winking at him. He flushed further and grumbled as he leaned his head back against my shoulder, mumbling unintelligable complaints as he hid his face in supposed embarrassment. He kept his head there until the blush faded, before raising his face again.

"Silvy, what were you doing up, anyway?" he asked, watching me carefully.

_Nothing gets past him._ "Nothing, I just couldn't sleep," I answered honestly.

He looked over at the cup on his bedside table. "I drank your tea didn't I?"

"Well, yea. But it's no big deal."

He sighed. "Well, I should at least get you a new cup." He shifted as though he was going to stand, and I wrapped my legs around his hips like a vice. The color returned to his cheeks as he turned back to me.

"That isn't necessary," I insisted. "You aren't going anywhere."

He sighed and faced forward again, accepting his defeat. I wrapped my arms around his ribs in a soft hug, resting my head against his shoulder. The color slowly faded from his cheeks and his face slowly got more serious.

"Silvy, why couldn't you sleep?" he finally asked, voice serious once again. I sighed. I knew he would ask, but I had hoped he wouldn't.

"Nothing. Just some bad dreams," I shrugged trying to play it off. He had turned to look at me again, and his eyes were examining my face in that way he did, as though he were looking beyond my words, seeing all the things I wasn't saying.

"Do you want to talk about them?" he asked softly.

"Do you want to talk about yours?" I retorted, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be.

"Heh, guess not," he said, rubbing the back of his skull. I unwrapped my legs and simply sat by his side, wrapping my arms around him and leaning against him. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Well, I know you don't want to talk about them, but I'm always here to listen if you need me to," I promised.

"I know," he said quietly.

"It may not seem like I would understand, but I can understand a lot more than you'd think. Having someone who understands to talk to can help a lot more than you think it would," I said gently.

"I know. And I know you'd understand, it's just. . ."

"I know. I understand why you wouldn't want to tell me. We've only known each other for a little while," I said.

"Almost a year now," he mumbled. "Wow. I can't believe I've known you for almost a year. It seems like a miracle."

I laughed. "And why is that?"

"Guess it just hasn't seemed like that long," he said softly, "and I know you'd understand if I told you. It's not about how long I've known you, 'cause honsetly, it feels like I've known you for a life time. Nah, I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. I don't want you to think I don't trust you, because I do."

"I know," I whispered reassuringly, squeezing his ribs gently. He shivered a bit, but finally returned my hug, wrapping an arm softly around my side and giving me a gentle squeeze. "I'll wait however long I have to. And I'll be here, when you're ready to tell me. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. I'm not, really. It makes sense. It certainly explains how calm you were when you dealt with me and my panic attack."

"Calm? If only you knew. I was about ready to tear down the house in a panic when I saw you," he said softly.

I laughed at the seriousness of the comment. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you didn't."

He chuckled. "Well, Silvy, I know you don't want to talk about your nightmares either, and I probably know why," I swallowed uncomfortably. "But, when you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."

"I know," I whispered. I squeezed him again as I took a deep breath, calming myself. I knew I could trust him, but I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready for anyone to know. I didn't want anyone to know about the darkness that I kept locked up in my soul. I didn't want him to know how weak I really was. I wasn't ready for him to know of all the shameful things I'd done. I knew he wouldn't be able to look at me the same again if he knew. And I didn't think I could bear to see him look at me as I knew he would. With disgust. Pity. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I wasn't ready to lose him, even if I didn't think I deserved him in the first place. He was my guilty pleasure, the one friend I allowed to know more than any other, even if what he knew was next to nothing. I couldn't lose him. Not yet.

Slowly, I released him, and leaned back, once I'd composed myself.

"Well, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Even if we don't want to, we really need to try to get some sleep," I said reluctantly. He sighed, but nodded in agreement. I stood, but he grabbed my wrist in a firm bony grip, surprising me.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked softly, his face uncertain, as though he expected me to say no.

"Yes," I answered softly. I was more than happy to stay with him. Honestly, I needed it just as much as he did, and I was grateful he'd been the one to ask, because I don't think I'd have had the strength to at the moment.

He slowly eased himself back between his blankets and held it open for me. I crawled in beside him and he pulled me close, tucking me under his chin, humming softly in contentment.

"You're so warm," he said softly, the slight vibration of his chest as he spoke tickled against my skin. "It's summer, and it's probably hot. Is it weird that I'm cold right now?"

"No, nightmares can do that. They leave me chilled too," I whispered, nuzzling closer. I still managed to be surprised that he was so comfortable, being a skeleton and all. His bones were smooth and warm, and tingled with soft little pulses of magic. He was very, very comfortable.

I began to hum a lullaby, and I felt him settle further into the bed, his breathing going deep and even as I sung. I sung until my eyes began to droop, and eventually slid closed. The words of the song faded on my lips as sleep over took me.

~~~

I woke slowly, pulling myself reluctantly out of my deep, blissful sleep. I was warm, and wrapped in a tight, bony hold. I realized I had turned over in my sleep, and my back was pressed firmly against Sans' rib cage, his arms holding me like a vice against his body. I myself had grabbed a spare pillow in my sleep and was clutching it to me like a body pillow, my face pressed in the soft material. I took a deep breath and shivered. It smelled like Sans. I hugged it tighter, and Sans must have felt my movement cause he groaned, clutching me tighter, burying his face against my hair, seeming more reluctant to wake than I had been.

I giggled as he nuzzled me, tickling my neck. "Sans," I whispered. I wiggled against him and felt something warm and hard press against the back of my thigh. I gasped in surprise and quickly drew my legs away, my skin still tingling from the contact. I bit my lip as my cheeks flared red and I felt an ache between my thighs.

_Well, fuck._ I very carefully eased the pillow out of my arms, and eased it between us. I was still tightly pressed against his ribs, but now there was a thick body sized pillow between my legs and his, and hopefully when he woke, he wouldn't know I'd know. I squeaked in surprise when he pressed me closer, burying further against me as though he were using me to shield himself from the light that was beginning to seep between the curtains.

Well, I couldn't remain trapped like this forever, and soon enough everyone would be waking as well. Didn't want anyone to come looking for me in my room and question where I was. "Sans," I whispered again, a little louder. He groaned, squeezing me.

"Sans, get up you lazy bones. It's morning," I said, a bit more loudly.

He grumbled again and raised his face just a bit. I heard him groan again, this time in complaint to the light, as he quickly hid himself in my hair again. I laughed. He was being ridiculously adorable. "Sans, don't go back to sleep," I complained, wiggling against him again. "It's time to get up, bone boy."

He sighed heavily and then his whole body froze, still holding me tightly to him. _Welp, he knows about that now. I'm sure my little wiggle didn't help. At least the pillow was there._

"Saans," I drawled. "No going back to sleep." I pretended not to know why he had suddenly gone still, and I felt him shift, relaxing slightly. He seemed relieved. _Thank gods for that pillow._

"I'm not, I'm not," he grumbled, his voice deep and raspy with sleepiness, though he was certainly more alert than he had been a moment ago.

"We have to get up, everyone will be getting ready to head out soon," I said softly and he grumbled again. He released me just a bit, but only enough to lean down and press his skull against my back, between my shoulder blades. I was firmly pressed against the sheets now, and his weight was holding me down, making it impossible to move.

"Do we have to?" he grumbled in complaint. "I would much rather just sleep here all day. I'm comfortable."

I giggled. "Yes, well, tempting as that sounds, we have to get up before anyone comes looking for us. Besides, I'm supposed to be helping with the days preparations."

"Fine," he grumbled and reluctantly released me, leaning back against his sheets. I could feel that he was careful to keep the pillow against himself. I finally sat up and turned to look down at him. There was a dusting of blue to his cheek bones and the slightest blue glow in his left socket, though he was trying very hard to act nonchalant.

"Sans," I started, ready to tease him. His sudden serious expression stopped me and he raised one of his hands, softly stroking my neck with his fingers. I flinched a bit at how sensitive my skin was to the touch. _Oh, right. That happened._ There must have been a bruise on my neck, just as we'd suspected there would be.

I quickly rose from the bed, making my way over to his bathroom. I examined my reflection in the mirror, and sure enough, a purpling bruise had formed on my throat in the shape of a hand. The sight of it made my stomach twist uncomfortably. The sight was all too familiar, although certainly not the worst I had ever seen. I sighed, realizing I would have to cover it up.

I reluctantly returned to the room to see he him sitting on the edge of the bed, blankets draped across his legs, watching the door to the bathroom worriedly.

He seemed like he was going to stand when I entered the room, but I quickly waved at him.

"I'm fine," I reassured, joining him on the bed. He sighed heavily, obviously not believing me. His face was creased in guilt again. "I'm fine," I reiterated. "It's just a bruise. It's not as bad as it looks."

He sighed but decided not the press the issue. He raised his hands again and softly placed them on the side of my neck, gently tracing the shape of the bruise with his fingers.

"How are you gonna hide this?" he asked. "They're gonna find out something happened when they see it."

"No, they won't, because they won't see it," I said. "I'll just cover it up, like I did with my arms."

He met my eyes and sighed. He lowered his hands, moving them from my neck to my arms, pushing back the thin material of my shirt to reveal the light pink scars that marred my forearms. He traced them slowly with his fingers, and the feather light touch made me shiver.

"Do they hurt?" he asked softly, not taking his eyes off them.

"No, they haven't hurt in a long time. Even those scars will fade with time," I said, looking down at the pink lines, tracing them with my fingers. I was grateful. My scars had always healed exceptionally quickly. Even the scars from the worst of my injuries as a child had healed to nothing more than silver lines on my skin, easy enough to hide. Most people wouldn't even be able to see them unless they knew they were there.

Sans hummed as he traced the marks, finally raising his eyes to meet mine. The lights of his eyes were bright with curiosity, but I knew he wouldn't ask. And for that I was grateful.

I gave him a soft smile, to reassure him that I was okay. "I need to go. We both need to get ready." He nodded reluctantly and I stood. I made a quick, devious decision as I turned to go to the door. Well, it was one way to ease the tension. I turned back to him with a teasing smile already playing around the corners of my lips. "And Sans, next time we have a little sleep over, don't give me such a _hard_ wakening, hmm?" I winked at him and turned back to the door. But not before I saw his cheek bones flare with blue and his expression go from serious to embarrassed. I knew he was questioning whether I knew about his little morning problem, but also knew he wasn't going to risk giving himself away by asking, just in case I didn't know. He didn't _technically_ know what I'd meant.

I made my way quickly back to my room, and hopped right into the shower, quickly letting the water was away the previous day. When I hopped out, I quickly got ready, being sure to thoroughly cover the bruise on my neck and the scars on my arms, making sure to put some water proofing on the make up as well. I would need it today. I slipped my materials in my purse as well, in case I needed it.

I threw on my "swimsuit" attire, which was a pair of ridiculously short black cotton shorts, though still more covering than an actual bathing suit, and a black tank under my dark skinny jeans and blue flannel. I threw on a pair of comfortable leather boots, and grabbed the bag I'd packed the day before, throwing in the last few essentials as I made my way to the kitchen.

Toriel and Rae were already at the stove, whipping up a quick breakfast as Frisk bounced excitedly on the bar stool. The smell of fresh coffee greeted me.

"Mornin' sis," I greeted, stealing a piece of turkey bacon from the plate before she could even fully turn to greet me.

"Hey! Rude," she said as I took a bite of my stolen treat. "Can't you wait for everyone else to come down before stuffing your face?"

"Nope," I grinned, going straight to the coffee pot to mix myself a cup of sweet, sweet coffee.

Everyone slowly filed into the kitchen, surprisingly enough, Sans is the last one in. Not surprising to everyone else but it is to me, considering I knew he woke up with me. But I just shrugged it away, handing him a cup of coffee as we all settled down to eat breakfast. The excitement for the day was palpable, and everyone ate quickly.

As soon as the plates were cleared, everyone grabbed their bags, throwing them in the back of the truck that I'd gotten for myself. Everyone piled into their respective vehicles, and we headed for the lake. Frisk and Raes accompanied me in my truck, and we immediately began blasting our music, windows rolled down as we all sang to the lyrics, loudly enough that the people in the other two vehicles could hear us.

Papyrus was driving his shiny red car in front of us, the top down. Mettaton was on the seat beside him and Undyne and Alphys were huddled close together in the back seat, with Sans beside them. I saw Sans turn to look back at our truck with amusement as we all sang loudly.

Our enthusiasm must have been infectious, because by the time the next song began to play almost everyone in the vehicle in front of us was singing along and I swore I could hear Asgore and Toriel laughing in the car behind us.

The drive to the lake was relatively short, and by the time we got there, everyone was in high spirits. The sun was justing starting to get some distance in the sky and the air was hot, a light warm wind blowing. Perfect weather.

We all jumped out of our vehicles excitedly. Everyone grabbed their bags, and we set up beside the lake shore. The sand was soft and warm, and I quickly discarded the flip flops I'd thrown on my feet, peeling my flannel off to let the sun warm my skin enjoying the warm sand beneath my toes.

Everyone set up towels and blankets to lay on, and before anyone else could even think about doing anything, Undyne had peeled her clothes off and was running off the short wooden dock to cannon ball in the sparkling blue water. The water splashed up from the impact, sparkling in the sun before raining back down into the lake.

Undyne bobbed up to the surface grinning at us all widely. "C'mon you weenies! Hurry up!"

Alphys shuffled over towards her, slowly removing the light dress she had on over her bathing suit. She sat down on the edge of the pier, dipping her feet into the water hesitantly. Undyne grinned wickedly, and slipped back under the water quietly. Alphys was too entranced with the water to notice her girlfriend's movements.

Just as Alphys raised her head to look for her girlfriend, Undyne's hands shot out and grabbed her feet, dragging her into the water with a loud squeal. They both popped back up to the surface seconds later, Alphys cradles in Undyne's arms. Alphys attempted to be angry at her as everyone laughed.

Papyrus was quick to join the two of them, cannon balling off the pier much like Undyne had done, further drenching the two women. I was somewhat surprised when he bobbed back up to the surface, very much bouyant. Magic. As soon as he surfaced, a splash war quickly commenced.

Frisk tugged on Toriel's hand excitedly, eager to join them.

"Sunscreen first, kiddo," Rae said firmly. Frisk pouted, but came over to Rae to allow herself to be covered. Tori and Asgore smiled at Frisk before walking to the water's edge to stand with their feet in the water as they chatted and watched Undyne and Papyrus fighting, with Alphys hiding behind Undyne, being mostly unsuccessful in avoiding the water splashing around her.

Sans had already lounged back on one of the chairs and was watching them all happily, a content smile on his face. It made my insides warm to see him so happy, especially after the events of the night before.

Mettaton had decided to lay back on the blankets and was sunbathing? He had a pair of sunglasses on his face, and the reflective sunbathing thing in hand as he leaned back. Could robots tan? I sincerely doubted it, but I guess he must enjoy the warmth regardless. I also began to wonder if he could even swim. I suppose I had seen him in the rain before, so I knew he was water proof, but I wasn't so sure he could handle being completely submerged in water. I supposed I'd find out before the day was out.

Rae was quickly covering Frisk in a layer of sunscreen, and made the kiddo stick around long enough to help her cover herself as well. I decided to warm myself in the sun before joining them in the lake.

I had settled against one of the towels, and I stood, peeling my jeans off my legs. I felt a pair of eyes on me, and didn't have to turn to know who was watching me.

Rae and Frisk took off towards the water together as I settled back against the towel again, watching as they splashed into the water with everyone else. When I finally looked back to Sans, I saw that he had raised the bottle of sunscreen and was reading it.

"Riveting reading material, I know," I teased.

He looked at me, and smiled. "Just curious about it is all. Why do they need this stuff?"

"Humans skin can be damaged if in the sun for too long," I explained. "They'd get sunburned if they didn't put that on."

"Sunburned?"

"Yup, exactly what it sounds like. They'd get all red, and it would suck. Sunburns make it feel like you are always too hot, and everything is painful to the touch. Or at the very least uncomfortable to the touch."

"So why aren't you putting any on?" he asked.

"I don't need it," I shrugged. "Despite how pale I am, I've never got a sunburn in my life. I even tried a couple times, but no matter how long I stay in the sun, I never get one. I know I should be wearing it anyway, but I hate the feel of the stuff."

"Hmm," Sans hummed dropping the bottle as he watched me lean back against the towel, getting comfortable.

"Not going to join them?" he asked.

"I will, once I've enjoyed the sun a little longer. I like to get nice and hot before going into the water. Makes it especially nice that way. You aren't going to join them?"

"Nah, I prefer to just enjoy the weather."

I turned my face up towards the sun with a nod, closing my eyes in contentment and I felt his eyes travel across my body. I wasn't dressed as scantily as everyone else, honestly what I was wearing would be more considering scanty pajama's rather than a bathing suit but it didn't seem to stop him from looking at every inch of skin that was visible.

After a few minutes of enjoying the sun, I did get up and join my friends in the water. It was cool and refreshing against my skin. The water was a nice cool blue near the shore and got gradually greener the further out you swam. The trees swayed slightly in the breeze and the clouds were fluffy and white over head, but never enough to cover the sun as it shone brightly down on us. It was a beautiful and perfect day.

After a while, we all climbed out and went to each lunch on the blankets. We swam again, and again before the sun began to set. Mettaton even joined us once, and he was indeed waterproof, and again, surprsingly bouyant for someone made of metal. Alphys explained that she had made upgrades to his body to be more like a person's so he could do all the same things we could.

After a while of seeing Sans just sitting back watching us all, Undyne and I made a devious plan. He was going to get wet, whether he liked it or not. I walked "casually" out of the lake, being sure to tilt my face towards the sun and arch my back just enough to be suggestive but not outright sexual. Undyne slipped out of the water while Sans was busy watching me, and she effectively drenched him in a bucket of water while he was distracted.

He turned to Undyne angrily, and she was quick to dash back into the safety of the lake. When he turned back to me I stuck my tongue out at him, and just as I was about to retreat into the water as well, I felt myself wrapped in magic and I was lifted. Thankfully, everyone else had either swam too far out, or was occupied with other things, so the only person who could see my predicament was Undyne.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" Sans asked threateningly as he walked towards the shore. He stopped a little ways from me watching me deviously.

"Oh, yah know. Just back into the water. Where its safe," I answered. And then smiled teasingly. "Yah know, if there was a wet t-shirt contest right now, I think you'd win, bone boy," I said eyeing his rib cage, which was now completely visible through his soaked shirt.

"Did ya really think drenching me was a good idea?" he asked, lifting me a bit higher. My stomach flipped.

"Well, we figured we'd help you cool down. You _were_ sitting in the sun for a while."

He chuckled. "Well, you're going to regret that."

And then I was tossed back, and I felt myself submerged in water as his magic released me. I swam back towards the surface and glared at him across the water. "How about you get in here and fight me, cheater."

"Nah, I think I'm good," he chuckled, turning to go back to his chair. I swam forward just enough to splash him. He paused when he felt the water against the backs of his legs and turned to me.

"You sure you wanna do that?" he growled.

"Bring it," I challenged him, swimming back to deeper water. Finally, he joined us. Walking, casually, and threatingly, towards me. I turned to swim away, but before I could I felt a bony hand wrap around my ankle, pulling me towards him.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" he growled in my ear.

I squeaked in surprise and turned, splashing him as I did so. Instead of retaliating, he simply wrapped his arms around me tightly and smiled at me evilly. He gave me just enough time to suck in a breath before dragging us both under the water.

I wriggled in his arms, trying to free myself, but his arms were like iron. He held me tightly to his rib cage and when I opened my eyes I could see his face clearly through the pristine water. His eyes were watching me affectionately and I froze. My entire body was pressed against his under the water and his face was right in front of mine. I felt my body heat up, realizing the position I was in.

As though he could tell how flustered I suddenly was, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine gently. My eyes were locked with his, and as the seconds passed the lights in his eyes seemed to go from soft and warm to burning as he looked at me under the water. The look made my stomach flutter nervously. I was so distracted I didn't notice that my lungs were burning. Until I did.

He seemed to realize it the same moment I did, and he quickly pushed us both back to surface. I drew in a quick breath as soon as we breached, my lungs very grateful for the fresh air. Sans chuckled as I tried to catch my breath. He still hadn't released me.

I splashed him lightly, which was difficult to do as close to each other as we were, but it only made him chuckle more. He leaned close, putting his mouth right against my ear, his voice low and raspy. "I warned you. This is what happens when you challenge me."

I huffed, and slapped his sternum lightly. He chuckled and finally released me. He retreated to where he could stand in the water, watching me teasingly, as though challenging me to try to fight him again.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and turned. I saw Undyne watching us rather closely.

"Traitor!" I yelled to her, knowing she had watched the whole ordeal and not once stepped in to help me. She only laughed, giving me a wink before turning back to Alphys. Tempted as I was to try to fight Sans again, I decided it was best for my heart if I didn't.

Just as the day was ending, Undyne issued a challenge. She'd made it a practically daily thing to challenge me to a fight, even if it was a short one. I complied, as usual, and in the golden light of the low sun, we fought.

And for the first time, she won. I was so busy dodging her attacks, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that she was herding me towards the trees close to shore. I was so busy dodging, and was so busy paying attention to too many targets at once, and one of her spears slipped through my defense, landing a solid, if soft blow, against my soul. Despite the lack of violent intent behind the blow, it still sent a shock of pain through my body and knocked my breath away. I was caught by surprise and didn't see that a root had found it's way close to my foot, and it tripped me. Just as I fell back against the ground, a glowing blue spear appeared in front of my nose.

"HA!" Undyne shouted in triumph, leaning over me. "I got you!"

I laughed, and leaned back in defeat. "Alright, you win. You win, no need to gloat."

"I will gloat all I want, because I finally won!"

"Yes, yes. Fine. Gloat. I see how it is. Using my own advice against me."

"Use your surroundings to your advantage," she said with a devious smile.

"Hey, Silvy, you okay?" Sans asked, having gotten closer to us. He was one of the few who had been at an angle to have seen the blow that hit my soul.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that Vyne," Undyne said, reaching a hand down. I gratefully accepted, my body admittedly a bit sore, and she pulled me to my feet.

"I'm fine," I reassured both of them. "It just shocked me is all."

"You're pretty tough, huh!" Undyne gave a light, well light for her, punch to the arm.

"Yes, yes I am. So no need to worry," I said with a pointed look to Sans. He sighed and didn't press the issue. My soul eased back into my chest and we returned to the little camp our friends had been setting up as we sparred. There were a couple tents set up, though most of the sleeping bags were out in the open, or by the fire that had just been started.

Frisk and Papyrus were already roasting marshmallows over it excitedly. Apparently the monsters had never heard of smores and Frisk had been very excited to show them the deliciousness of the fresh treat.

We joined our friends in banter and treats, and just as the sun was setting, Rae pulled something out of her tent. It was my guitar case.

"I knew you wouldn't pack it, but I thought I should," Raes said, plopping it in my lap and sitting beside me.

I looked at her exasperatedly.

"What? You are a great singer, and this is just the kind of trip for some nice guitar music," she said indignantly. I sighed. Everyone was watching us curiously.

Frisk came to sit beside me, and was patting the case curiously. I sighed and flipped the clasps, letting Frisk pull it open to look at the acoustic guitar inside. She strummed the strings with her fingers and smiled at the sound they made.

_Will you sing for us?_ She signed, looking up at me with big doe eyes.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it Rae?" I asked, looking at my sister accusingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, far too innocently repeating a line I often used.

I looked back down at Frisk. "Well, how can I say no to a face like that." Frisk smiled triumphantly and I pulled the guitar out of it's case, resting in my lap as I looked around at my friends.

They had all settled halfway in their sleeping bags in preparation for sleep, but seemed more than eager to hear me play for them.

"Well, any requests?" I asked. "I can do most songs. You guys know the same music I do. And if I don't, I can probably pick it up after listening to it."

Alphys bounced in excitement and gave me a song. I smiled and happily obliged. Everyone watched me play the instrument with wonder, as though they'd never seen someone play one before. I thought for a moment that maybe they hadn't.

I continued to take requests for the next hour, and slowly, one by one, everyone fell asleep, until it was just me and Sans. As my last song trailed off I lowered my arm, flexing my fingers. Everyone was deeply asleep.

Sans was watching me, his expression warm. When I met his eyes he smiled at me softly. "I knew you could sing but, wow."

I blushed. "Well, it's not really something I do around other people often."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, just never very comfortable with it." A memory flashed in my head, and I pushed it away quickly. "Its just always embarrassed me to play for other people."

"Well, it shouldn't. You have a lovely voice," he simply stated, leaving no room for argument. I smiled and gestured to our friends.

"You sleepy yet?"

"Not one bit."

"Me neither."

"How about we go back towards the water, so we don't wake them up," he suggested. I nodded and stood, stretching a little. "And bring your guitar."

I smiled and followed him back towards the lake, guitar in hand. We settled against a particularly large tree, watching the water lap gently at the shore.

"Any requests?" I asked softly, lifting the guitar into my lap.

"How about you play a song you like," he suggested, watching me.

"Hmm," I paused, unsure what to play. Most of the music I loved to play was. . . somewhat depressing music. I tapped my guitar lightly, thinking.

"Alright, what's the first song that came into your head when I asked that. Play whatever that one is," he suggested.

"It's not a particularly happy song," I said, deciding to be honest, because I couldn't think of any other happy songs to play right off the top of my head. Most of the songs I had played already, for everyone else. And that wouldn't pass. He wanted to hear something new.

He shrugged. "I don't mind. If you like the song."

"Alright," I shrugged, raising my hand to the strings. As I began to play, I kept my eyes on the water. I had always loved the song, it had always reminded me of me and Rae, but now that I was playing it, the words seemed to hold a deeper meaning for me. One too close to the person sitting beside me, eyes trained on my face as I sang.

_"I wanted you to know, I love the way you laugh. I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away. I keep your photograph. I know it serves me well. I wanna hold you high and steal your pain. Cause I'm broken when I'm open. And I don't feel like I am strong enough. Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome, and I don't feel light when you're gone away."_

I could feel his eyes, how intently he was watching me as I sang. I finally raised my eyes from the water to give him a soft smile, and I didn't miss that his features were very serious as he watched me, emotions playing across his face, and his cheekbones just the lightest touch of blue.

_"The worst is over now and we can breathe again. I wanna hold you high, and steal my pain away. There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight. I wanna hold you high and steal your pain. Cause I'm broken, when I'm open. And I don't feel like I am strong enough. Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome. And I don't feel right when you're gone away."_

I leaned my head back against the tree, closing my eyes as I played the little solo, a smile on my lips. There was something very peaceful about the moment, and it was making me blissfully happy. Obviously, the lyrics seemed to be getting to Sans as well. I could tell by how intently he listened, as though the words meant something to him.

_"Cause I'm broken when I'm open. And I don't feel like I am strong enough. Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome. And I don't feel light when you're gone away."_

As the song trailed off, I finally turned to smile at him.

"Wow," was all he said, eyes trained on my face in a way that made me feel like he could see my soul.

"Well, like I said. Maybe not the happiest song ever, but it's one I love," I said quietly.

"Yeah, I do too," he responded, just as quietly.

"It's better to listen to the original singer do it, his voice just. . . makes it perfect. But yeah," I shrugged, placing the guitar on the ground beside me.

"I think your voice was already perfect," Sans mumbled quietly. I blushed lightly but just shrugged again. I was doing a lot of that.

We sat and watched the water quietly, talking about little this and that's as the night wore on. Eventually I fell asleep against his side, the moon high above us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's curious about the song it's Broken by Seether. The original. Link here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqwK1V0Ym6Q  
> Wonderful song, just kinda reminded me of certain characters when I was listening to it. Thank you so much for so many kudos and comments, all you readers are such lovely people ^///^  
> Feedback is much appreciated :D


	12. An Unusual Turn of Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late in posting, had some computer troubles!   
> A new character is introduced in this chapter, this character is not my OC, but was a character requested to be in my story by a reader.

I was out for a morning jog, running the perimeter of the estate when I noticed, for the first time, a couple of figures standing outside the wrought iron gate. From this distance, I couldn't make out is who it was, but it immediately set off warning bells in my head. We rarely got visitors to the estate, besides Nate and occasionally Hughes, when he could find time off from work to drive out. And the occasional diplomatic meeting in the estate, but those were always announced in advance, and they arrived in teams in fancy cars.

I knew immediately it couldn't be any of those options, neither Nate nor Hughes would simply show up without contacting someone first and there was no diplomatic meetings for several weeks. I was closer to the gate than I was to the estate, and I figured I could handle trouble if that's what it came to, so I jogged over to the gate to see who waiting out there.

As I got closer, I realized one of the figures was a human, and the other a monster. A very familiar monster at that.

"MK!" I shouted, running over to the gate as soon as I recognized Timmy, the arm-less monster kid who was constantly at the estate with Frisk. No monster should have been outside the gate, not without someone knowing about it, and especially not a kid.

As I got closer, I realized the human was a girl who looked to be around my own age, perhaps a bit older. She didn't appear to be harmful, and MK didn't seem afraid of her, but I remained prepared for any situation.

I quickly put in the passcode to unlock the gate, letting it swing open enough to let them inside, before shutting and locking it again.

MK barreled into me before I could even turn to ask him what was wrong, his head connecting solidly with my stomach as he nuzzled into me in his version of a hug. I quickly wrapped my arms around him, placing my hand comfortingly on the top of his head. Now that he was closer, I did notice a few scrapes here and there.

"MK, how did you get outside the walls?" I asked, leaning back to look at him. He looked incredibly relieved to see me.

"Silvy I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized nuzzling into me again as tears came into his eyes. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I was just curious."

"MK, who is this?" I asked, a bit unnerved by the girl standing blankly by the gate, simply staring out at the road. She looked our way as I mentioned her.

And her appearance, I noticed with a bit of shock, was a tad strange. Not that I had any reason to talk, but still. She was a slightly taller/larger framed girl than me and my sister, with short cropped hair that looked like it had been cut messily with scissors, giving it a jagged look. Her bangs lay messily against her cheeks and forehead, its cut somewhat reminding me of Raes' hair, but where Raes' hair was even and neat, hers was just as wild and unkempt, whether that was a deliberate look or because she was actually too lazy to tame it, I couldn't tell. She was dressed in black shorts, and a black sweater of all things, considering the warm weather, with black spiky boots on her feet. But it wasn't her edgy look that made her look strange, it was the color of her eyes. They were a deep red, the color of dried blood.

I realized as I saw her staring at me intently that I had no room to judge her appearance, as I must seem strange to her as well with my mismatched eyes.

"This lady helped me!" MK was quick to supply, giving the girl a wide, toothy smile.

"Helped you, huh? Why did you need help MK?" I asked, giving him a parent's stare. He shuffled his feet, staring at the ground like he was being scolded by a parent.

"I found the kid being hassled by some guys out there," the girl supplied, her voice was a lower pitch than mine, or any girl I'd known, but by no means masculine. It came off as sounding quite smoky, actually.

"Well you didn't have to just come out and say it!" MK objected, giving her a look of betrayal.

She just shrugged, eyes never once leaving my face. The way she was staring was starting to make me feel uncomfortable.

"You ran into some people out there? Like more humans?" I asked him when he turned to meet my eyes. He quickly turned his eyes down again.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

I knelt down beside him, resting my hand on his head. "MK, are you alright?"

He looked up at me sheepishly, as though fearing he was in trouble. He simply nodded in answer to my question. I drew him into a hug, rubbing his back comfortingly to ease his nerves. "Good." I quickly stood, addressing the girl. "What happened out there?"

"Found the kid being hassled by a group of jackasses," she shrugged. "Stepped in to help out. Figured I'd make sure the kid got where they needed to be."

"Why were there humans out there, do you know? Surprisingly enough, we don't often get humans, let alone trouble."

"I heard them talking about coming out here when I was passing through town. I didn't even realize this was where the monsters were staying. I followed them to see if they would cause trouble. And I was a bit curious to see this place for myself," she shrugged.

I looked down at MK to see him nodding vigorously along to the things she was saying. "Yeah! She totally kicked their butts!" he shouted enthusiastically, bouncing on his feet in excitement. The girl simply shrugged, not seeming affected by his enthusiasm.

"MK, how did you get outside the gate? There shouldn't be a way in or out other than this entrance," when I looked down at him I saw he was sheepishly shuffling his feet again. "MK, you're not in trouble. I need to know so no one can get inside this place without us knowing about it. It's really important."

"I know," he looked up at me again, giving me a hesitant smile. "There's this big tree right outside my window that's branches go out over the gate. I was curious about going out, so I hopped over. I didn't mean to get in trouble."

"I know, kiddo. What happened out there?"

"I was just exploring the woods when some humans saw me and came up to me. They weren't very nice humans. They were bullying me," he was frowning, but his enthusiasm was quick to pop back up. "But then Dire showed up and totally kicked their butts! She reminds me of Undyne, but without spears!" His wide, toothy grin was back, very much reminiscent of his warrior idol.

"Dire, huh?" I asked, looking at the girl. _Interesting name, to say the least._

"Yupp, that's me. Full name's Dire Fered. But my friend's just call me Dy for short. Nice to meet you," she walked a little closer, holding out her hand.

_Well, at least she's polite._ I quickly reached forward, grasping her hand in mine. It was a little rough, her hands calloused, her nails filed down short. The sweater she wore was a bit too big for her, the sleeves slightly covering her hands.

But her skin still made contact with mine, and as it did the world was quickly blotted out as darkness washed over my vision. I felt ice against my skin, in my muscles and lungs, burning and freezing at the same time. The image that washed over me was painfully familiar, and I was dimly aware of a pressure against the inside of skull, threatening to split it. Distantly I felt her skin on mine, and used it to pull myself out of the strange, invasive image and back into the present. The image and pressure in my head faded, leaving nothing more than a dull ache in my temples as the warm sunshine brought me to my senses.

Her eyes were scouring my face with curiosity. General curiosity, and I was relieved that other than the fact that I was holding her hand for slightly longer than I should, I hadn't reacted out of the ordinary. Pulling my hand discretely from our handshake, I finally offered her a response.

"My name's Silvyne. Silvy or Vyne for short." I was relieved that my voice remained calm, as the image in my head faded to the back of my mind, my tension eased to nonexistent.

"Vyne, huh? Nice name."

"You too," I said. She was quick to shove her hands into the back pockets of her shorts, leaning back lazily as she continued to appraise me.

"So, kiddo, are you sure you're alright?" I asked, pulling MK close to my side as I began walking back to the estate, gesturing for Dire to follow us.

She fell into step behind us as MK told me what had happened, occasionally adding snippets of story herself.

Apparently, MK sneaked out just because he wanted to see the woods, and while he was out there, he ventured too close to the road, and a car passing by saw him. They pulled over, and harassed him. From what Dy implies, it could have been really bad. They weren't just jerks messing with some monster kid; from what they were described as, they reminded me of Nick and his band of fuckers, all too intent and eager to dust monsters, even a kid.

Dy stepped in, kicked ass, and helped him out and the humans took off and didn't look back. And she brought MK back to the entrance, because he couldn't get back in the way he left. Thankfully, MK was pretty unfazed by violence, for which I was grateful. He had an impenetrable spirit. Troubles just seemed to wash off him like water off a duck's back. It just didn't faze him the way it might another child.

As we walked I was careful to keep a close eye on Dy. While she seemed well-intentioned, letting another human into the settlement without being completely clear of their intentions, especially from what her apparent skills are, seemed risky. But from what I could outright observe, she seemed pretty laid back, and mostly unfazed by pretty much anything around her. She more often than not had this far away look in her eye that I recognized, the look that told me she wasn't entirely here, lost in thought or daydreams instead.

When she wasn't doing that, or perhaps when she thought I wasn't watching her, she was watching me. With a kind of scrutiny that made me feel on edge. But I didn't have time to dwell on it as we came to the mansion and Frisk came sprinting out, having seen MK and I approaching.

_MK! MK!_ She was signing the nick name she had given him frantically as she ran up to us, Undyne , Asgore and Sans close behind her. She barreled into MK, wrapping him in a tight hug as he nuzzled into her just as enthusiastically.

"Frisk!" he shouted in excitement.

_Are you okay? You look a little scraped up._ She signed to him as soon as she pulled back. Dy was hanging back, but none of the monsters had missed her presence, and were watching her carefully.

"Kiddo here ran into a bit of trouble out there. Some human trouble," I clarified for them. They immediately tensed up, eyes flashing to the odd looking girl standing silently to the side. "Not her. She helped the him out, actually."

"Perhaps we should all go inside, talk about what happened?" Asgore suggested. I nodded and we all made our way back inside the estate.

Undyne came up on MK's other side, giving him a wide, toothy smile, which he returned. "Maybe the little punk should see Toriel too, just to be safe," she suggested, nudging him playfully.

He head butted her in return. "I'm not hurt! How much of a weenie do you think I am?" he protested, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet in an almost challenging manner as he circled her.

"We are not doubting your warrior prowess, child, we simply want to be careful," Asgore said gently, giving him a soft smile. MK quickly fell into step beside them again, walking with his head high, almost like a soldier, nodding his consent.

"Yes, your majesty," he said.

Asgore chuckled as we entered the house. "There is no need for you to call me that. You are practically family."

There were stars in his eyes as he looked at Asgore, before he vigorously nodded his head. "Yes, Mr. Dreemur." Asgore only chuckled, giving him an encouraging pat on the head.

Toriel, Raes and Papyrus were in the kitchen, as they usually were at this time of the day, and Mettaton and Alphys were quick to join from the sitting room as soon as they saw the extra company.

"Hey goat mom!" MK greeted Toriel before ramming into her with an affectionate headbutt, leaving Frisk doubled over in a fit of silent laughter at the exclaimed nickname. Toriel chuckled, giving him a pat and a questioning look to us.

I was quick to explain the situation to everyone gathered, quickly assuring the on edge monsters that the human girl with us was not trouble. As far as I could tell, but I left that unvoiced. Despite the lack of tension after the story, I did note that Sans kept a careful eye on her, likely being cautious, for which I whole-heartedly agreed.

Toriel looked over MK, quickly assuring everyone that the child was perfectly safe.

"Thank you for helping the kiddo," I said to Dire, who stood awkwardly at the corner of the room, as though not wanting to get too close to the people gathered around the island.

She gave a curt nod of her head and I noticed with a bit of surprise the way she holding herself and the steeled look of her eyes. I turned back to the monsters, eager to deal with the responsibility at hand quickly.

"Even though the kiddo said he couldn't get back in the way he sneaked out, I still think a few of us should walk the perimeter of the fence, make sure there aren't any weak spots in the fence or any trees like MK's on the other side that could pose a problem. And just make sure those people actually left." Asgore and Undyne were already nodding their consent.

"Undyne and I can get right on that," Asgore says. "Undyne can walk to the west, I'll walk to the east and we'll make sure the town is still secure."

"And I'll drive down the road a ways, make sure there's no more trouble makers," I quickly agreed, and they swiftly departed to get ready.

"I can go with you, just in case there is trouble," Sans offered, though I knew it would be impossible to deny the request if I'd wanted to. If there was even the slightest chance of trouble, he wouldn't let me go out alone.

As I turned to Dire, I noticed that she was watching the two of with intensity, closely observing our interaction. I realized that she had been doing that since we came into the estate-watching everyone, eyes taking note of all the little things, closely observing the way we all interacted with another, as though taking note of what type of people the monsters were. It reminded me of the scrutiny I would give to people I didn't entirely trust, and it occurred to me by the intelligence behind her eyes that not much got past her notice. But not much got past mine either.

I walked over to her, close enough to slip a few quiet words her way. "Mind if we talk for a second?" She nodded and slipped out of the door. I turned back to Sans. "I'll meet you out front in a few minutes." He nodded and I followed Dy into the hallway, noting that MK had begun to re-tell his story of the events rather enthusiastically to Frisk, and everyone else had returned to what they were doing before the events had interrupted the day's normal flow.

Dy was leaning against the wall, the way she held herself was casual but the look in her eyes told me otherwise.

She followed me as I made my way to the sitting room, turning to her as soon as I was sure we were alone. "Let me see how bad it is."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"Your injury," I clarified. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm not-"

"From one person who's good at hiding pain to another, I can tell you got hurt out there. I get that it might not be that bad, but I want to see for myself to be sure."

Her jaw snapped shut and she squinted at me suspiciously, her eyes then scoured across my body, as though she were looking for something. After a few moments of staring intensely into my eyes, a gaze I did not shy away from, she obliged, lifting the hem of her sweater to reveal a nasty bruise across her ribs.

There was a red welt across her skin in the center of the purple and blue bruise, as though something blunt had hit her, but not quite broken the skin. It looked like it hurt, and by the severity, she might even have broken ribs.

"Mind if I check for broken bones?" I asked, stepping closer. She shrugged, allowing me to do my thing, eyes intent, as they always seemed to be when she was watching me.

I reached out a hand, gently pressing her side and feeling the bones underneath. She sucked in a pained breath but otherwise didn't react. She had a pretty high pain threshold, because my fingers felt one of her bones shift beneath my fingers, making it obvious that she had at least two broken ribs.

"You should talk to Toriel, she can heal you," I told her, with much insistence when she gave me an unsure look.

"I'm fine. I'll drive to a hospital back in town, it's no problem," she argued, unwilling, and obviously uncomfortable with the idea of a monster healing her.

"You don't have to waste time or money on that. Trust me when I say that monster magic is not harmful. Especially not the healing kind."

"You've been healed by them before?" she asked, looking for some kind of direct reassurance.

"I have. It feels a little strange, but other than that not much about it. It won't have any lasting effects or anything, and it doesn't take long to be healed. Maybe a little longer than it has for me because of your broken bones, but, not worth driving all the way back into town to avoid it."

She was watching me as I talked, then looked away as she contemplated, still unsure.

"Alright, fine," she mumbled, and then turned to me with a curious stare as I was about to exit the room. "So, what have they had to heal for you?"

"A few scrapes here and there. No big deal," I shrugged. She narrowed her eyes, obviously not believing me, but I didn't have time to explain how I'd met the monsters, not at the moment. Sans was waiting.

I left the room, her trailing behind to return to the kitchen as I went outside, where Sans was already standing by the truck.

~~~

Turns out, bones are harder to heal than it seems, and it was decided that Dy would stay with us until she was fully healed, considering the trouble that had gotten her injured in the first place. Toriel figured it would take about two weeks of healing for her bones to be completely mended, and Dire didn't seem to have much qualms about staying, more curious about the monsters than she had first let on.

Thankfully, whatever she had done had scared those humans away for good, and we hadn't seen any trouble since. The fence was secure, and everything was fine.

Dy spent the first few days exploring the town, with an escort at all times of course. She hadn't given us any reason not to trust her, but she hadn't quite earned complete trust just yet either.

Sans didn't quite trust her either, confiding in me that something seemed off, like she was incredibly guarded and very difficult to read. I had to agree. I could see something about her, something that spoke of many secrets, but she was like a blank slate, leaving nothing for us to even guess at as to the true kind of person she was.

She had helped a kid, risking herself doing so, earning her enough trust to live with us with relatively no exceptions, though her closer observances often left me guarded as well, because she was less inclined to just let my own secrets be.

But, another lazy day, like any other and I decided it was a day for video games and relaxation, without any drama. I was lounging in my chair, feet propped up on my desk, one hand on my keyboard, the other on my mouse in my lap, my favorite RPG on the screen. It had been years since I'd picked up the game, and I had a sudden urge to go in and wreak havoc again. Well, as much havoc as I was willing to wreak in a video game.

I was completely enraptured with my current quest, so I didn't notice when a few people crept into my room until a Frisk was plopped into my lap, startling me.

_Hey, Silvy what are you doing today?_ She signed at me curiously, a big, adorable smile on her face.

"Nothing much, kiddo, just relaxing," I answered her, tilting my head back to see who had put her in my lap. Sans stood behind my chair with a wide smile on his face, hands in his pockets as he watched us. "'Sup," I greeted him.

"Hey," he returned, leaning over the back of my chair to see the game on screen. I was currently standing in a winter tundra in the middle of the night in the game, with the starry sky taking up the entirety of the screen. "Whatcha playin' there?"

I returned my eyes to the screen, shifting Frisk in my lap so she was facing forward and I had access to the keyboard and mouse again. "Just playing an old favorite of mine."

"Looks nice," he said, examining the screen with stars in his eyes.

"You like the night sky, huh?"

"Yeah, if that isn't obvious by all the star gazing we do," he chuckled, plopping himself in my spare chair and pulling up beside me. "Though this sky looks. . ."

"Like more?" I suggested. I had modifiers on the game to enhance the graphics, night sky included, so yeah, it looked beautiful. "That's cause it's not supposed to be our night sky. It's a fantasy game, fantasy world."

"So why do you like the game? You said it was one of your favorites."

"I could literally talk for hours about why I like the games I like," I laughed.

_Can I see your games?_ Frisk signed.

"Sure thing, they're all on that little bookcase," I said, gesturing to the one between my desk and TV. "I have all my games for all my consoles there."

Frisk hopped off my lap and went over to the bookcase, pulling out cases and looking at them.

"Wow," I heard Sans mumble, and when I turned back to my screen, I saw that the sky had lit up in shades of green, purple, pink and blue.

"Oh, yeah. The game does that sometimes. It is mostly reflective on real life weather like that," I explained.

"Real life? You mean those lights can appear in the sky in real life?"

"Yeah. They're called the Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. We wouldn't be able to see them from where we live, but yeah. They're real."

"That's so cool," he whispered, eyes glued to my computer screen, and the light show displayed on it. I adjusted the view so it would be more visible. "So what kind of game is this? What's it like?"

And I proceeded to tell him the basics of the game, how all its mechanics worked, though he seemed pretty familiar with it already.

"But yeah. I've been playing the game for a while now, so my character is pretty OP at this point. I'm almost level 80."

Sans jerked a bit beside me. "Level 80?" He sounded surprised, and when I turned to him I saw he was looking at me with a bit of apprehension.

"Yeah. It's usually the highest level a character can be in these sort of RPG's. Why, is that surprising?" I asked, unsure why he was uneasy.

"Just seems like a lot of LV is all," he murmured, returning his eyes to the screen. I noticed Frisk had paused what she was doing and was listening to our conversation.

"Well, yeah, I guess it is," I said quietly, watching him closely. He was trying to act nonchalant, leaning back in his chair, but I could see the tension in the way he held himself.

"Can I ask what LV means to you?" he asked quietly.

"It's always just stood for level as far as I've understood."

"Level of what?" His eyes returned to me, and they were intense, as though there was more meaning to the question than there seemed.

"I'm not sure. I've always thought of it as level of skill. Or level of experience," I replied, bringing up the little skill menu so he could see it.

"EXP?"

"Yeeaah," I drawled, unsure what he was implying with that, because it seemed to mean something different to him. Frisk wasn't even pretending to be occupied with something else, and was watching us quietly.

"How do you gain level in the game?" he asked, though the question seemed obvious.

"By leveling up skills mostly. I do a lot of smithing, alchemy, enchantment, that sort of thing," I explained.

"You have more skills than just those though," he said, eyeing my skill panel, indicating the fighting skills.

"Well, yeah. In these adventure games you level up fighting skills as well."

"And how do you do that?"

"By fighting?" I replied, unsure if that was the answer he was looking for. Everything he was talking about seemed to have some kind of double meaning I wasn't getting.

"By killing?" he suggested.

"Well, yeah. In these kinds of games there's always lots of enemies: creatures, people that will try to kill you, so you fight back. There isn't isn't really any other way to play."

He just nodded, scrolling through my character's stats and skills.

"Okay, I'm missing something here. Is there some kind of double meaning I'm not getting?" I glanced between Sans and Frisk. Neither of them would quite meet my eyes.

"So much time has passed since monsters had been on the surface humans forgot a lot," Sans simply stated.

"Yeah. I know. Magic and monsters were turned into things of fairy tales and myth. Until the barrier broke."

"There's plenty humans don't remember. At least, they don't remember that these things were actually real. Instead, it's been turned into the stuff of video games. Its importance lessened."

"Okay. So there is definitely more to it. Care to explain?" I asked, definitely curious now.

Sans let out a heavy sigh before meeting my eyes. "Souls have the ability to gain LV, kind of like a person can in a video game."

"Really? That _sounds_ cool, but I have a feeling it's not as simple as a video game."

"No, it isn't. LV to monsters stands for Level of Violence."

"Well, that doesn't sound good."

Sans snorted. "Yeah, it's really not."

"So how does a soul gain level in real life? I mean, how's it work?"

"Well, souls have sort of base stats I guess you could say. Every soul is different. Sometimes a person, when in combat and using their soul can have more defense, or more attack. Or speed or agility, that sort of thing."

"So just like a video game character."

"Exactly. These stats can be improved through training. Your soul is at least above average with all of these things because of all the training you do. But the only way to gain LV is through EXP."

"So you can't get it just through training?"

"Definitely not."

"Okay, so what does EXP stand for? I have a feeling that like LV, it isn't good."

"No. It stands for Execution Points."

I leaned back in my chair as chills suddenly washed over my skin. "Well, that's more. . . morbid than I was expecting. I can see why none of those things would be good."

"No kidding," he responded quietly, eyes returning to the screen.

"Well, I certainly never thought of it like that," I mused. "I've always had a soft spot, even in video games. I fight when I have to, I mean it is just cool to be some badass hero who's impossible to beat, but I've never been overtly cruel in a video game. Honestly, I've done everything I can to ensure I get a happy ending in games that have them. I'll often replay games over and over to ensure that everything ends up well for all the characters that I'd fallen in love with."

"And it never bothered you, manipulating the world like that?" Sans asked, question strained. I noticed Frisk shift uncomfortably on the floor, trying to pretend she was observing the case in her hands.

"Well, not really. I never had the heart to leave a game with a bad ending knowing I had a way to make it good."

"In real life that's not how things work. However things turn out is how they turn out, and you can't change how some things happen."

"I know, but a video game isn't real life, and if I have the power to make it right for the characters I love, I will do everything to make it happen, to get it just right."

"Good intentions, but good intentions can often be twisted. Have you ever played through a game just to see what would happen if you did things differently? If you were a bad guy instead?" Sans' eyes were burning with intensity as he asked it, a kind of gaze I couldn't tear my eyes from.

"No. I've known people who have, but I never had the heart for it. I couldn't stand to see characters I love suffer."

"But you said yourself it's not real. It's just a video game," his gaze was almost accusatory as he said it.

"Doesn't matter. It's real enough."

"And if you had that kind of power in real life, what would you do with it?"

I noticed Frisk go completely still in the periphery of my vision, but I couldn't tear my eyes from Sans smoldering eye sockets. "I don't know. Not much. I'd certainly try to use it for good, but I wouldn't want to mess with a power like that too much. Like you said, sometimes what happens, happens. Even if it isn't happy, some things are simply meant to be. And it wouldn't be my place to play a God."

Sans relaxed a bit, seeming relieved at my answer. "So you'd never use it just out of curiosity, to see what would happen?"

"Never. Like I said, it wouldn't be my place to mess with the flow of the universe. And I could never hurt anyone, regardless of the fact that I could change it. Just because I could go back doesn't erase the fact that it happened, or that I'd hurt people."

"But technically it would be like it didn't happen, if you could just _reset_ ," Sans hissed the word like it was a curse, and chills dances across my skin again at the sudden flash of burning hatred as the word slipped from his teeth.

"It wouldn't matter. I would remember it, I would remember what I'd done. Just because I went back wouldn't erase the fact that I made others suffer because of a morbid curiosity, and that suffering would always exist, in some form or another. And that would have been because of me. I could never do it, no matter any curiosity. Not that I would have any morbid curiosity like that to begin with."

Sans relaxed, expression softening into one akin to adoration in the way he was looking at me, making me immediately flush. "You're amazing, you know that right?" the question was rhetorical, but entirely sincere, his tone laced with warmth and caring. The sudden remark had me fumbling for a response, and unable to find one as my cheeks burned red from embarrassment and I suddenly felt a need to hide my face.

I turned my eyes back to the computer screen, shifting so my hair fell over my shoulder to hide my flustered cheeks.

"Hey now, don't do that," Sans said quietly, hand suddenly appearing to grasp my chin, lifting my face to look into my eyes, his other coming up to brush my hair back so he could fully see me. His eyes were so soft and warm, and yet at the same time so intensely heated I couldn't tear my eyes from them, even as uncharacteristic shyness crept through me.

Sans brushed his fingers gently across my cheekbones as he caressed my face, eyes riveted to mine as he leaned closer.

The spell bound moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat, forcing us apart and I turned just in time to see someone burst into the room.

I realized Frisk had given us enough forewarning to avoid being caught in an embarrassing and personal predicament, as we hadn't heard the footsteps pounding down the hallway.

Undyne and Papyrus were who suddenly came to greet us, bursting into the room to see what we were up to, all holed up in here.

"What are you guys up to punk?" Undyne asked with exuberance, coming over to sit beside Frisk, who was currently trying to force the pleased smile from her face, and lifting the case in her hands to examine it. Papy flopped down beside them, leaning close to examine the game cases.

I attempted to wrangle in the blush on my face and compose myself as I saved and closed the game I had been playing.

"So video games, huh?" Undyne asked, looking excitedly up at me.

"Video games? Are these the puzzle games I've heard so much about?" Papyrus asked, lifting the case from Undyne's hands.

"Well, I have some puzzle games, but that one isn't particularly about puzzles. That's a more PvP kind of game, competitive player against player," I explained, seeing that they were handling Super Smash Bros for the Wii, a game I hadn't picked up in several months, not since my last arduous competition with Nate the last time he visited.

"A competitive fighting game! Sign me up!" Undyne exclaimed, holding the case out to me to start.

"Sure thing, you wanna get anyone else to see if they want to play?" I suggested and she immediately nodded, taking off down the hallway to gather people.

"Think you can put it in kiddo?" I asked, and Frisk nodded vigorously, picking up the case and controllers, getting the system set up.

A sudden idea had occurred to me while they'd been talking, and I immediately pulled the game up, getting it started. "So, I hear you like space," I turned back to Sans with a smile, excited to show him the game I knew he'd love.

"So I do," he said, turning back to me with a bit of a blue flush to his cheeks, making me blush slightly in response. The lights in his sockets were just now coming back into focus as he met my eyes, as though he'd been thinking of something before I interrupted him from his thoughts.

"I have the perfect game for you then," I suggested, pulling it up and pushing my chair to the side, pulling his in its place as the starting screen popped up, immediate interest appearing in his eyes.

Universe Sandbox2 was on the screen, a game I knew he'd have fun with. "This game makes it so you can influence the universe and space and all the like. Go crazy."

He immediately got into it as Undyne returned with a few people following her. Alphys, Raes, and Dire followed her into the room, curious to see what had Undyne so excited.

Raes laughed as soon as she saw the game ready and waiting on the tv, understanding coming to her expression, various controllers laying on the coffee table as Frisk and Papyrus sat eagerly on the couch in front of the tv.

"Oh, I see. Well, if Silvy's playing, you guys are all going to get slaughtered," Raes warned them, scootching in beside Frisk.

Alphys and Undyne sat down on the loveseat and Dire sat down on the recliner, each picking up a controller, leaving my custom Link controller for me, the only one of the bunch that was different.

I joined them on the couch, glancing over my shoulder to see Sans already immersed and experimenting in the space game, and smiled, quite pleased with myself.

We got immediately into the game. I picked my signature character, Marth, while everyone else branched out, experimenting with each character to see which ones they liked the best. After a few experimental rounds, everyone seemed to have fallen into their favorites as we fought. Frisk choose toon link while Dire chose regular link, the dark version of the character. Alphys often switched between Jigglypuff and Pikachu, the cutesy characters befitting her personality. Papy chose Kirby, often sucking in the other characters and stealing their abilities, and Undyne settled for Samus.

Several hours into the competitive playing later, and the dominant players were weeded out, mainly being me and Alphys as the alpha players, with Undyne and Dire as the beta, often going easy on Frisk and Papy even while we kicked each other's asses. Alphys was surprisingly good at the video game, very meticulous and crafty about it, having a very scientific approach to the best ways to win.

Undyne was a brash and fantastic warrior in real life, but in a video game, she often lost her composure, mashing at the buttons too quickly and causing the character to fumble between moves as she struggled to get it to do what she wanted too quickly, which worked out of her favor more often than not.

Dire was more of a silent killer type- avoiding the fights as best she could while we killed each other and reduced each other's health before striking, unless one of us sought out her character first.

After a few hours, and with much of Papy's imploring, Sans joined us, and the character he chose was surprisingly unsurprising. He settled for Sonic, often using speed on the larger maps to avoid the fighting altogether, and just letting Frisk and Papy kill him when they sought his character out.

I was absolutely determined to see what he could actually accomplish in this kind of game, curious if he had some hidden skill he was being too lazy to reveal.

But every time I tried to engage him in a fight, he would dash away, his character chanting the signature, and very annoying "you're too slow", increasingly pissing not only me, but also the others off, in the most affectionate, not seriously angry way possible while still being thoroughly upset.

After only a few rounds I was absolutely itching to dunk his character into the ground as he got increasingly cocky about being able to avoid our attacks and annoy us at the same time.

We settled for ganging up against him just to kill his character and let off steam and snuff out his smug attitude. A few rounds later and I challenged him to a one on one, curious to see how well he could actually play the game, and everyone agreed to sit back for a few rounds, as we'd all had our little one on one's, me coming out on top, much to pleasure. I'd lost plenty, of course, but in the overall score and skill, I was on top.

Sans chose the same character I played as when it was time for a serious fight, giving me an imploring smile when I glared his way. And the fight was close, as he was surprisingly good at the game. I lost a few times, but the overall wins had me the victor.

It was late into the night by the time everyone dispersed, disappearing back to their own rooms. Sans was the last to leave, carrying an unconscious Frisk back to her room to sleep.

All and all, it had been a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the person who requested this character, I hope this pleases you, as there will more of her to follow and her character will be more developed and revealed as the story goes on. :D  
> A little heart to heart in this chapter, because yes c:  
> The next chapter will be posted sooner than this one, and I hope you lovely readers continue to enjoy :3


	13. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's learn a few of these secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter is extremely heavy and touches on VERY sensitive topics.

The sun's heat beat down on us in the bright afternoon, the occasional breeze wafting through the air to caress our sweaty skin as we threw ourselves across the grass. Undyne and I were once again sparring together against our shifting blue enemies. My bare feet moved lightly across the grass as I turned and spun and ducked attacks, Undyne's spear spinning in my hands with every turn as we defeated opponents.

My concentration was locked entirely onto the fight, onto the feel of my muscles and the tingling hits I tried to avoid. So completely embedded in the moment was I that my attention was completely diverted from the few onlookers standing on the porch, watching us.

Raes and Frisk were at one of the tables, painting as they idly watched us, and Dire was leaning over the back banister, eyes intently following every slight movement of the fight with a practiced eye.

My heart pulsed rapidly through my muscles as I narrowly avoided an attack, dispatching the opponent as it was swiftly replaced with another, giving me no break in my flow.

So intent was I on the shifting figures and coordinating my moves around Undyne that I didn't notice Dy pulling something out her pocket, its metallic surface glinting in the sun. Dire was watching my every move, waiting for an opportune moment, for me to slip up or be overwhelmed.

Her opportunity presented itself as I was cornered by the shifting blue figures, Undyne on one side of me as we fought back to back. I saw the glint of metal from the corner of my eye, a flash of warning pulsing through my muscles. It took only a split second for me to make a decision and act on it. If I bumped into Undyne I would end up knocking her into the magical figures, so instead I twisted to my left, hoping I could somehow avoid the blue shape. My body couldn't twist away from it, and my sudden move _into_ his attack caught Sans off guard, leaving him no time to react.

The sharp glint of metal embedded in the grass where I had been standing as my body fell through the blue figure. Immense agony sliced through my muscles straight from my soul. All other hits I'd taken before had been glancing and only against my body, never coming anywhere near my soul. Now I saw why.

My body collapsed as the pain washed through me in waves. I dully felt the weight of gravity as I lost control control of my muscles, simply crumpling against the grass. My soul felt like it would shatter, an indescribable heat filling my soul to the brim as I attempted to maintain consciousness.

I was unaware of the pounding of feet on the grass or the shouting of panicked voices. I couldn't feel the bony arms that wrapped around me or feel the press of worried magic against my skin. I was unaware that my heart had stopped, my lungs going still as I simply focused on my soul, trying not to let the feel of it slip, even if the only thing I had to hold onto was pain. I knew that if the feel of my soul disappeared so would I. So I held on through the agony twisting through my body.

In reality, it took Sans only a few moments to reach me and wrap my soul in healing magic, but to me it felt like hours. Sans' magic filled my soul, healing the damage that had been done, clarity washing over my senses all at once as I took in a strained breath, my heart resuming its rapid pace.

Shouting voices reached my ears. "What the hell were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that? I could have killed her!" My eyes fluttered open to see Sans' enraged face hovering above me as he cradled my limp body in his arms. His socket was already beginning pulse blue with little flashes of yellow here and there, giving his away his quickening lack of control.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous magic is!?" Undyne shouted, standing over us protectively, as though she expected the girl to do something else harmful.

My eyes traveled to Dire who stood forlornly on the grass, an irate Raes and Frisk standing on her heels, looking like they were about to join in the scolding at any moment. My eyes locked onto her, searching her expression. I could see lingering guilt in her eyes even as she set her jaw stubbornly in protest to their words. Whatever she had expected, it hadn't been me almost dying.

"I thought magic was all about intent. Surely you weren't intending to hurt her," Dy said quietly, still trying to find some defense against their anger.

"No! Of course I wasn't trying to hurt her! But magic is hard to control and I wasn't exactly using healing magic," the last of his words came out an irate, low growl.

Dy's posture was stiff as she shifted her feet, her hands clenching onto the hem of her sweater as she tried to remain composed.

"I was using combat magic and that magic is dangerous and volatile, even if I wasn't intending harm," Sans continued, fingers tightening involuntarily around me.

"She's been hit with your magic before!" Dire protested.

"Only her body, not her soul. I was always careful not to hit her soul. Magic of a less physical kind like that does much more damage to her soul than it would to her body. There's a reason monsters always attack the soul when in any actual battle- because souls are fragile."

Dire chewed her lip, shifting uncomfortably as she realized that she really had made a mistake, but I could see the stubbornness in her eyes, the prideful attitude that would prevent her from admitting to her mistake. But I could also see the situation quickly unraveling and decided to intervene before things could escalate further.

"Sans," I said softly, my voice not yet returned to its full volume. Sans' gaze flashed immediately to me as he heard my voice, the blue in his socket pulsing warmly at seeing me, his anger temporarily tempered as his grip tightened around me.

"Thank gods, Silvy, are you alright?" Sans asked, face falling in concern as one of his hands raised to cup my cheek.

"I'm fine," I answered, attempting to pull my sore muscles into a sitting position. Sans cradled me in his lap, hand under my back to help me into a more upright position. "Thank you," I whispered earnestly. His fingers squeezed my sides affectionately as he rested his skull against my cheek in relief.

"Geez, girl you are tough," Undyne mumbled, leaning down and clasping a hand on my shoulder. "That blow could have easily been deadly. We could see it. Your soul almost stopped shining. But you held on. I've never seen someone do that before. Most souls with that low of health would have shattered, but it's like yours was being held together through sheer will alone."

"Well, I didn't exactly _want_ to die today," I said lightly, attempting to ease their worry and assure them I really was okay.

"Silvy, I'm so sorry," Sans began, and I could see the tirade of apologies prepared.

"Sans, it's okay," I said, cupping his face and planting a big, wet kiss on his cheekbone, relieved when his face flared blue and his next apologies floundered to a stop.

When I turned back around, Undyne gave me a sexy eyebrow wiggle and a knowing smile.

"Shut up," I laughed at her, attempting to stand, and squeaking in surprise when Sans simply pulled me back into his lap. Rea and Frisk had already come up beside us , leaving Dire standing on her own off to the side.

Sans noticed I was watching her and turned back to her angrily, and I could see he was already prepared for another angry tirade.

I quickly clasped my hand over his mouth, stopping his angry words short as he turned to me with surprise. "Sans, don't. It's okay."

Sans huffed angrily, pulling my hand away and squeezing my fingers. "It's not okay. She almost got you killed."

"But she didn't. I'm fine. And she didn't mean to," I insisted, this time pulling myself painfully to my feet as my muscles screamed in complaint. Sans rose with me, keeping a hovering hand near my back when I wavered, ready to catch me if I fell.

I could see perfectly well why she had done it. Morbid curiosity. I could see that she knew that it wouldn't be harmless to do it, she had at least that much of a grasp on magic, but certainly hadn't expected something so drastic to happen.

"Silvy, you can't just-"

"I'll talk to her," I said, cutting off his angry words. "Just let me handle it."

Sans let out a heavy sigh but reluctantly let it go. "Well, do you mind if I pull you aside for a second? There's somethin' I need to check," Sans said quietly, obviously forcing his anger away.

"Sure, no problem," I said, allowing him to take my hand and pull me towards the house as Undyne, Raes and Frisk returned to the porch, leaving Dire standing off on her own, eyes unfocused as she was lost in thought.

Sans pulled me away until we were in a secluded little sitting room, one none of us really used. He quietly pulled me along to sit beside him on the couch, turning to me.

"I'm going to need to take a look at your soul, make sure that it really is okay and doesn't have any lingering damage from that hit," Sans explained, looking somewhat shy about asking. It was unusual for him to be bashful about it, it's not like he hadn't seen my soul before. 

"Yeah, okay. No problem, right?" I asked, wondering why his cheekbones were dusting blue.

"You'll see what I mean," Sans said cryptically as he lifted his hand, my soul coming out of my chest with no resistance, fully trusting the magic that eased it out.

My soul's sparkling light was dimmer than usual, pulsing slowly. My soul pulsed brighter for a moment when Sans reached his hands out to it, his touch mere inches from its glistening surface.

"If I make you uncomfortable, stop me, alright?" Sans looked to me with worried eyes as I simply nodded my consent, wondering what it was he was doing.

Sans' eyes returned to my soul, watching the light pulse faster due to his close proximity, and I hoped bashfully that he didn't realize that's what caused it. My heart fluttered nervously as his hands settled against its smooth surface, and a shock went through me as I felt the touch with shocking clarity, feeling it within my entire being. I flushed at how pleasing the sensation was, not in a dirty way, but in a simple, I could feel the love behind the gesture kind of way. I was surprised at how soft and gentle his fingers were against my soul as he held it tentatively in his grip, touch feather light as though he were afraid he'd hurt me.

I was unaware of the fact that Sans could feel my soul fluttering nervously against his fingers and he instinctively wrapped my soul in warm, calming magic, looking relieved when my whole body slumped in relaxation. My entire body felt warm and cozy as his magic wrapped around my soul in a soft embrace, and I felt more comfortable than I ever had, every ache and discomfort disappearing.

As soon as he saw that I was relaxed, his fingers pressed a little more firmly against my soul, making me gasp as I felt it within my entire being, blushing at how intimate it felt. Seeing my soul was one thing, but with it so firmly in his grip, surrounded by his magic, I felt as though he could see everything I was so clearly and I worried for a moment if he could do just that, not even aware that I had put a wall up to block him out, hiding certain things from his scrutiny.

He furrowed his brow as he sensed the sudden block to his magic as it searched my soul, and quickly retreated, seeming to realize that he had been incredibly close to making a connection that would have left myself open to him entirely. He was curious, of course, to see all the things I was so adamant to hide, but he knew it was not his place to see these things without my express consent.

Getting back to what he had originally been intending to do, he simply closed his sockets, feeling my soul, testing its strength and checking my stats to make sure everything was as it should be. After a few moments he reluctantly released my soul, allowing it to ease back into my chest as he sat back with a relieved sigh.

I opened my eyes, not even remembering having closed them, and looked up at his flustered face, trying to force the redness from my own cheeks as his gaze returned to me.

"So, everything as it should be?" I asked breathlessly. He simply nodded, seeming too dazed by the moment to really respond.

A quiet knock on the door startled us both and I turned to see Rae opening the door. "Sis?" She peered into the room, smiling when she saw our flushed faces. I quickly composed myself, standing. "You two need privacy?" she asked with a wink.

"Shut up," I huffed, laughing at her teasing as I went across the room to her.

"You okay?" she asked, linking an arm through mine as I came up to her. I heard shuffling as Sans stood, trying to force my fluttering heart to shut the hell up as he came up beside us.

"I'm fine, sis," I reassured her. She looked to Sans for extra confirmation, clearly still concerned.

"Don't worry. Silvy's gonna be fine," Sans said reassuringly, draping an arm gently around my shoulders, throwing me a wink when I blushed. _Great, now he's teasing me too._

"Well, if you two will excuse me, I have to have a talk with a certain someone," I said, untangling myself from them as I stepped into the hallway.

"You sure you don't want me to talk to her instead?" Sans asked uneasily.

"Yes, I'm sure. I've got this," I said as we made our way down the hall. I left them in the main sitting room with the others as I made my way outside where Dy stood on the back porch, simply looking at the lawn, though I'm sure that's not where her mind was.

I came up beside her, pulling her out of her reverie with a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to me, her eyes focusing as she pulled herself back into the moment. She looked away from me uneasily, shifting as I leaned over the banister beside her.

"So, what, were you just curious to see what would happen to me?"

"I didn't mean for you to get hurt," she said quietly.

"Not entirely true. You know enough about magic to know that there's a huge difference between healing magic and the magic that Sans was using."

"But I didn't mean for-"

"I know. So what were you trying to accomplish by throwing that at me?"

"I was just curious. I wanted to see if you could avoid it, what you would do."

"Mind if I ask what you threw at me?" I asked, turning to her with a raised brow, recalling the glint of metal.

She reached into her pocket, pulling out a knife. A kind I recognized. "A butterfly knife, huh? Nice. Mind if I take a look at it?" I asked, holding out my hand.

She handed it to me a shrug and simple ,"Sure."

I flicked the knife open, noticing her surprise as I handled the knife expertly, flicking it a few times before shutting it again, simply admiring the pretty knife. "So, you must have known I only had so many options for avoiding this thing."

"Yeah. I could see your options."

"Either bump into Undyne and end up pushing her into his attack, or throw myself away and simply hope I could avoid damage."

She sighed, eyes downcast as I looked at her. "I was curious to see which you would do."

"So, testing me? If you want a good idea as to my character all you have to do is ask."

"There's a difference between saying and doing."

"Oh, I know. Trust me, I know. And while I can understand the curiosity, and I know there was no malicious intent behind it, I don't appreciate you putting my friend at risk for your test." She swallowed uncomfortably at the sudden irritation in my voice. "I can bet that Undyne would not have simply walked away from an attack like that. I got lucky. Even if it wouldn't have killed her, it certainly would have done damage."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I was betting on you doing what you did."

"While I appreciate the vote of confidence about my character, I don't appreciate you taking the risk at all."

"I know. I won't ever do anything like that again, I promise," she finally turned to meet my eyes, hers showing sincerity in her words.

"Okay, I'm going to trust you on this. Don't disappoint me."

She smiled at my suddenly lighter tone, holding out her hand, pinkie extended. "I'll even pinkie promise you."

"Well, if it's a sacred pinkie promise," I laughed as I linked my finger with hers.

The tension dissipated now that things had been settled, and she smiled gratefully at me as I handed her knife back to her. "Why do you carry that with you, anyhow?"

She shrugged as she shoved it back into her pocket. "Never know when you'll need to protect yourself."

"Think you need to protect yourself in here?" I asked.

"No. But it's habit at this point to carry it. I feel naked without it. Defenseless."

I nodded in understanding. Because I certainly did know.

After a moment Dy turned to me. "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said, gesturing for her to continue.

"When Sans heals you, what does it feel like?"

I looked at her curiously, but chose to simply answer. "It feels intense. It rushes through my body like lightning, hot and tingling, filling me and simply washing the pain away."

"Hmm."

"Why hmm?" I asked, turning to her.

"When Toriel healed me it wasn't quite like that. I was soft and gentle and warm."

"Hmm," I repeated, wondering at the difference. "They do have very different magic, that's probably why."

"Or it's because magic is all about intent. They're magic is a reflection of their soul, their emotions."

"Well yeah. . . "

"Sans cares about you," Dy stated, immediately making my cheeks redden. "His magic responds to you differently. That's probably why it feels so intense."

I chose not to answer, simply staring at my twined fingers as I thought about it, but quickly chose to focus on it too closely as Dire turned and returned to the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

~~~

That day quickly drew to a close, and a few of us found ourselves lounged in the grass of our backyard, looking up at the stars as the house behind us slept. I lay back with Rae's head cradled on my stomach, running my fingers through her hair. Sans was leaning close to me and Dy sat on Rae's other side.

The night had so far been filled with simple conversation. It wasn't until we had all settled into a more comfortable mood with one another that Dy asked a sensitive question.

"You guys say you lost your mother. Do you mind if I ask how she died?" Dy asked, looking down at my sister and I curiously. My whole body jolted as she asked it, as I hadn't even been aware of her knowledge of our past.

Rae sat up, looking down at me apologetically as she must have felt my surprise at the question and I realized who must have told her about us.

Sans' eyes flicked to us, settling on me concernedly as he must have sensed my sudden discomfort.

I would have chosen not to answer, and had no intention of doing so, but Rae wasn't so inclined. She wasn't nearly so adamant to keep our past a secret, not seeming to see a reason to. But she also wasn't aware of everything.

"Our mother got sick when we were children," Rae said softly, gazing at the sky sadly as she remembered. I winced as soon as the words left her, realizing with dread the inevitable questions that would follow.

"Sick? What was it? Cancer or something?" Dy asked curiously.

I swallowed back my uneasiness as I saw the tears come to my sister's eyes, reaching over to take her slightly shaking hand in mine, squeezing her hand gently between mine, relieved when she returned the squeeze gratefully. I could feel Sans' eyes on my face the entire time, taking in my emotions with worry.

"Not that kind of sick," Rae said, voice wavering. After a few moments and a deep breath later, she continued, my stomach twisting into knots as this small truth was spoken. "Our mother had alzheimer's."

Dire let out a low whistle. "Wow. That's terrible. My condolences."

Rae gave her an appreciative smile as she wiped away her tears with her free hand.

"What's alzheimer's?" Sans asked hesitantly, not understanding.

Rae turned to him as she realized of course he wouldn't be familiar with the human ailment. Before she could answer, I spoke. "Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the mind, deteriorating it. A person will forget a lot of things because of it. Memories. People."

"Her clarity came and went when we were young, but our mother wasn't fit to properly take of us and she was moved into a home where she could receive proper care," Rae explained.

"So did your dad take of you guys?" Dy asked.

"No," I answered curtly.

"He died before I was born, when Silvy was still a baby. Our step father took care of us."

Dy just nodded, looking at the sky as she seemed to be lost in thought, brow furrowing as she contemplated things.

Sans was watching me closely, but I couldn't look his way. I was already having enough trouble keeping myself composed.

Rae let out a quiet sigh after a moment. "I'm getting pretty tired guys. I hope you don't mind if I call it a night?"

"Not at all," Dy said, leaning over to give my sister a comforting hug.

After she pulled away my sister accepted my hug gratefully, squeezing me tight before padding across the grass with a last wave and smile to reassure me that she was okay.

"Your sister doesn't seem nearly as upset about your past as you. Or nearly as secretive," Dire simply stated, knowing eyes returning to me as I tensed up.

"That's because she was shielded from the worst of it. I made sure to keep her safe, to keep her from seeing it all," I explained, eyes simply gazing at the grass, focusing on the dew glistening there.

"So how bad was it?" Dy asked, non too gently.

"I think that's enough," Sans insisted, scooting closer to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"What? You aren't curious about all these secrets?"

"It's not my place to force her to talk about things she doesn't want to," Sans growled irritatedly.

"You can't lie and say you don't want to know," Dy huffed, annoyed that she wasn't getting support.

"It doesn't matter," Sans insisted, though I could feel the curiosity coming off him.

"Oh, so you don't want to know the reason behind all those scars on her arms?" Dire asked. My head snapped up, eyes locking on her.

"What did you just say?"

"You think I wouldn't notice? You may cover them, but I can still see it. That darkness in you."

"How-"

Dire lifted the sleeve of her sweater, cutting off my angry words as I saw the red scars marring her arms, the words falling away from me. The scars on her arms were varied in how healed they were, showing the timeline of the inflicted injuries.

She lowered her sleeve, covering her arms again and when my eyes met hers they were steeled. "You aren't the only one with demons. I'm just curious about yours."

Sans didn't seem to know what to say, eyes flickering uneasily between the two of, unsure whether or not to intervene as Dy and I locked eyes. And I could see it. I could see that darkness inside of her. So much like my own.

"Fine. You really wanna know?" I asked quietly. She simply nodded. "Rae and I were still little when she was diagnosed. Her clarity came and went, but over the years it just got worse and worse. You have no idea what it's like to have your mother look at you and see right through you. To not even recognize her own child. I had to watch as my mother slowly lost who she was." Sans squeezed my shoulders, hearing the raw pain in my voice.

"Silvy-" he started, voice quiet and concerned.

"No. She wants to know."

"You don't have to-"

"Don't _you_ want to know?" I asked, looking at him. He floundered for a response, but chose not to lie, simply nodding his head.

I turned back to Dire, chest roiling with unbridled emotions. "When I was still just a little girl, I came home from school to my mother having one her episodes. Those moments she lost herself. She was panicking, not even realizing that she was in her own home. She was screaming and panicking, breaking things. I approached her, tried to calm her. I was just a child, I didn't know what to do. How to help. My mother panicked, pushing me away when I tried to comfort her. I fell right into our glass coffee table, breaking my arm and getting pretty badly cut up. Thankfully our step-father got home, rushed me to the hospital. Our sister didn't know what had happened until that night. I chose to lie to her, tell her that I had tripped and fallen so she didn't think that our mother was dangerous." Sans was rubbing soothing circles into my back as I spoke. "Our step-father simply let me choose what to tell her. He took our mother away, moving her into a facility that could care for her. We rarely saw her after that. Me more than my sister. I only let Rae see her when she lucid, so she wouldn't have to see how bad it could get."

"You protected her," Dy said softly, expression soft and sympathetic.

"I did. She's my little sister. It's my job to protect her. To keep her from seeing how ugly this world can be," I had swallow the bile that rose in my throat, Sans' fingers squeezing me gently. I could feel his eyes watching me softly, but I couldn't look up at him. I wasn't sure I could keep myself composed if I did, if I saw the gentle expression there.

"So how did your mom die?" Dy asked quietly.

"She committed suicide during one of her moments of clarity. I guess she decided she couldn't live knowing that she would simply forget us. It was right after one of our big visits, when we all went to see her. Rae's last happy moment with our mother."

Dy cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. The only thing that matters is that Rae never finds out about this," I said firmly. Dire raised her eyes to meet mine.

"I'll never speak a word of this. I swear," she promised, voice deadly serious.

"Good," I nodded, relieved that I had her consent.

After a few moments, Dy looked to me again. "And your step-father, where is he?"

My entire body tensed up at the question and Sans looked to me in concern. "I don't know. And I don't care."

Dy furrowed her brow in confusion. "He's still your fath-"

"Don't," I hissed, the venom in my voice silencing her immediately. "That man is not my father."

"I would have figured something like that-"

"Don't," I growled. "Do not ask. Not about that." The sheer hate and anger in my voice silenced her, her eyes locking on me as she appraised me.

"You should be grateful for the family you have," Dy said softly.

I scoffed. She didn't know. She had no idea. "My father died when I was two. The man my mother married can't even compare to him."

"If you were so little when he died, how do you know? How do you know the man your real father was?"

"I remember enough." My eyes left hers as I saw her scrutinizing curiosity.

"You were in that car crash, weren't you?" Dy asked softly. My eyes flicked back to her, wondering how she could have possibly picked up on that.

"I was."

"You remember it."

"I do."

"And?"

I had to take a deep breath, fingers clenching so tightly Sans had to reach over to uncurl them before I could hurt myself, allowing me to grip onto his hands instead. I was too emotional to simply pull my hands away.

"I remember that night clearly. The only clear memory I have of him. I remember the lights as they passed over our car, illuminating it. Our car was hit by a truck, it slammed into his side of the vehicle. I remember the sound of shattering glass and the screaming of metal as the car's frame was destroyed. The smell of burning rubber and the squealing of tires. I remember my father's face as he turned to smile at me right before the impact. I remember the blood."

Dire swallowed uncomfortably, turning away as she saw the burning look in my eyes. "You were only a child. . ."

I shrugged. "I don't know how I remember it. I just do."

"Gods. . ." Dy sighed, shivering as she pictured it.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Sans continued to rub my hands between his comfortingly, not seeming to want to speak and break the silence. Or perhaps being unsure what to say.

"I feel like after everything you've been through, you should hold onto all the family you have," Dy said quietly, looking up at me. I gritted my teeth as I realized what she was talking about. She flinched back when my burning eyes met hers, not even coming close to conveying the anger I was trying to keep under control. "I have my reasons for feeling the way I do."

"You didn't know him," I said, voice scarily even.

"No, I didn't. I also don't have the luxury of having any family at all," Dy said quietly, hands tightening around her sleeves as she drew her knees up to her chest.

"I've revealed my secrets. What about you?" I challenged.

Dire met my eyes, unflinching. "I grew up in an orphanage for the first few years of my life. When I was finally adopted, it was hardly the family I wanted. The people who adopted me treated me like I was nothing more than a paycheck, only giving me the brae minimum that I needed to survive, not even taking note of my presence most of the time. But that wasn't the worst of it. They turned me into some kind of slave, using me for labor. I finally managed to get away when I was sixteen. Left and never looked back. I know, it's not the worst childhood, but it still sucked. Not feeling like I belonged anywhere."

I let out a sigh, pushing down my anger as my heart twisted sympathetically. "Suffering is suffering."

"I don't like to think about it," Dy shrugged.

"Neither do I."

Dy sighed. "Sorry for bringing it up."

I could only shrug in response.

After a few minutes, Dire stood, stretching her weary limbs. "There are still questions I want to ask, but I won't. If you tell me, you tell me. If not-" she shrugged, and I was surprised she was simply letting it go at that. I suppose she must have sensed she had gotten all the answers she was going to get.

"I'm going to go ahead and leave you two to it. My advice, try not to think on it too much," Dy said, giving us a last wave as she returned inside. I could only huff in exasperation. _How am I supposed to not think about it now?_

"Silvy?" Sans' quiet voice jerked me back to the present as I pulled myself out of my thoughts, focusing on him. His eyes were intense, filled with concern and affection. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked a little warily.

I shook my head. "No."

"Okay." He didn't pry. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" he offered, seeming to know I wouldn't ask. I nodded, grateful. He smiled softly, wrapping his arms around me as he teleported us inside.

~~~

Dire's two weeks came to an end, and as soon as Toriel confirmed that she was fully healed, she headed out with a last few goodbye's to us, giving us her contact information before she went so we could stay connected.

I felt disquiet after she had left, feeling like something was missing. Like something important was meant to have happened. As the days passed the feeling didn't fade, leaving me feeling apprehensive about her departure and wondering if I would see her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this is not the last we will see of Dire.  
> Thank you lovely readers for all the kudos and comments, you guys are great <3


	14. A Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter is VERY VERY heavy and deals with delicate topics such as rape and abuse. If you are sensitive to these topics you might want to skip this chapter or ask me for a summary of what happened. I will say that the especially hard moments have been written in bold so you know what to specifically avoid if you still wish to read it.

It was less than a week after Dire left when a few of us decided to go into town. Rae and myself, along with Undyne and Papyrus went in to support Mettaton during one of his practice routines for his next play. It took less time than expected, as he was already well-prepared for the event, and we returned to the house at around midday.

The first thing we noticed was a car we didn't recognize sitting in front of the house, and wondered if some monsters, or perhaps Nate or Hughes, had decided to visit. For the briefest moment I felt nervous anxiety prickling against my skin, warning bells sounding in my head, and I wondered at why.

When we entered the house, sure enough, we heard the sounds of polite conversation, though the voices were too quiet to properly make out, and made our way into the sitting room to see who had visited.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the room was that Sans was leaning against the wall rather than sitting at the couches, looking rather uneasy, and Toriel was sitting across from a human man, each holding a cup of tea while they appeared to have been in polite conversation.

Toriel and Sans looked up to us as we entered the room, Toriel looking grateful to see us and Sans worried, and before any of us could ask who it was, _he_ turned around in his seat to see us.

His face was shaven rather than stubbly, his hair trimmed, his clothes clean. But his face was still one I clearly recognized, the face that had haunted countless nightmares in my life. He had the same leathery, sun-burned skin, face scarred and nose misshapen from many fights. As he stood, a deceptively friendly smile on his face, I froze. Those washed out, colorless eyes met mine, filling with surprise then delight, then that slight pass of lust, as they met mine, not an ounce of shame or regret in them. They were the same _soulless_ , _bleak_ , _hopeless_ eyes that had caused me so much fear as a child.

Rage and panic washed through my body like a tidal wave, like a sudden burning, insistent heat against my skin, stealing my breath and leaving my hands trembling. Warning shot through my muscles, my whole body tensing as though prepared to fight, as though I expected him to lunge across the room towards me with those rough, grasping, dirty fingers.

"Vy," he hummed my name, voice sickly sweet, laced with fake happiness and caring, with that undertone of _mine_ to it that always seemed to infect his voice when speaking to me. The way my name fell from his lips made me flinch as I heard the same possessive lilt to it, the sound of it echoing in my head and crashing against the inside of my skull as a wave of emotions and memories swept through me.

**And suddenly I was no longer standing in _this_ living room, the walls of our old home rising around me like a cage, trapping me as they once had. I could feel the dirty, scratchy carpet of our home beneath the bare skin of my stomach, my shirt having been ripping from my skinny, adolescent frame by those large, greasy hands. I could feel the pain throbbing from the entire left side of my face and I swore I could feel blood dripping down my quickly numbing scalp and staining my hair, leaving small scarlet droplets on the already stained carpet.**

**I remember thinking in that moment how that carpet had once been a pretty, pristine white, the carpet soft beneath my small frame as I'd played in this same living room as light had streamed into the house that had once been so filled with love and happiness.**

**The contrast between the memory I should have been too young to remember and the one that had become all too familiar before me had made pain, nostalgia, and _home sickness_ wash through me as I so desperately wished to be back in that innocent youth. Before it had been tainted. Before it had been tainted by the _vile monster_ now holding me against the almost grey-brown carpet, the floor beneath me smelling of alcohol, ash, vomit, piss and blood, making bile rise in my throat.**

**But that discomfort was little compared to the hands that had begun removing the remainder of my clothes, and in my adolescence I had panicked, desperately hoping he wasn't doing what it seemed he was.**

**But he was. _Oh he was._**

**I remember struggling, my arms and legs pushing, grasping, trying to find _something_ to save me from the nightmare I knew was coming. My struggles were a pointless venture, only serving to further the weight against my body, my arms pinned beneath me helplessly with that _disgusting_ weight against my back, almost constricting my chest entirely as I struggled for air with every desperate breath.**

**I remember the pain. The pain tearing up my stomach and down my trembling legs as my body was roughly invaded. I remember screaming, the sound muffled as he shoved my face against the grimy floor to stifle the sound as he grunted angrily, as though the sound only pissed him off more.**

**I knew afterward that the nightmarish moment lasted only minutes, if that, but to me it had seemed to go on for hours, the pain unrelenting, my struggles hopeless against the large man's will.**

**I remember the weight suddenly disappearing, the sounds of heavy, uneven footsteps stumbling down the hall and _away from me_ , accompanied by cursing and yelling before the sound of a door slamming shut jarred me to my senses.**

**I had lain there, for minutes, wondering at _how_. I already knew this _fucker_ was cruel, the countless bruises, scars and broken bones I had accumulated were an attestment to that, but this? Even I hadn't thought him _this vile_.**

**I remembered having to pick myself up off the carpet, my arms numb and trembling, the prickling in my fingertips as the blood flow returned, I remember the almost unbearable ache between my legs, my thighs trembling as I attempted to hold myself up, my body so weak and uncooperative it brought tears of frustration to my eyes, dampening my cheeks.**

**I remembered the blood between my legs, pooling against the dirty carpet.**

**I remembered having to stumble into the shower, the icy water washing the blood from my trembling body.**

**I remembered hurriedly getting dressed as I realized I had somewhere to be. _Someone_ to protect.**

**I remember having to put on that mask for the first time. I remembered how numb I had felt after it all as I forced away all those emotions, leaving no trace of them for _her_ to see.**

**I remembered smiling with her. Talking with her. But even her innocent exuberance and light couldn't reach me.**

**And in that moment I _hated_ myself. Hated how _weak_ I had been. How _pathetic_ and _helpless_ I had been against him.**

_ **But I hated him more.** _

I was snapped back to the present by the _danger_ in front of me taking a step as though to come around the couch towards us.

I noticed Sans' look of concern as he noticed my struggle, standing straight as though he were about to intervene in whatever was going on. Or whatever was going to happen.

"Dad," Rae said softly, moving to step towards him, already smiling, _not understanding_.

Warning shot through my body like a gunshot, instantaneous and impossible to ignore, and I grasped her arm tightly, stopping her in her tracks as she turned to look at me in confusion.

"Sis?" she asked, concerned at the look on my face. The mask I had no doubt put in place once again, for the first time in a long time.

My body felt taught as a bowstring, trembling in anger. I couldn't take my eyes off of the man standing calmly in my living room, as though the place belonged to him. _As though he thought he was welcome._

"Undyne, get Rae out of here. Get her away and don't let her come back until I say it's okay," I said quietly, my voice strained, the words barely escaping my raw throat. I saw the anger flit across his face before settling back into a concerned, confused gaze.

"Vyne?" Undyne asked, tense as she picked up on my emotions, eyes moving to examine the man with wary curiosity, suddenly very uneasy.

"Sis," Rae protested, trying to pull her arm from my grip, her eyes imploring.

_She doesn't understand. She can't understand._

I finally turned to look at her, eyes pleading for her not to make this difficult. I would have Undyne carry her out of here, kicking and screaming, if I had to. "Raes, please. Trust me. You have to trust me. Do as I say and get out of here."

Rae must have seen the urgency on my face as she nodded calmly, sending one last conflicted look to the man before turning to go. Undyne placed a protective arm on her shoulders as she turned to lead Rae away, understanding my unspoken plea to keep her safe.

"Human?" Papyrus began, obviously distressed about whatever was going on.

Undyne grabbed his arm, shaking her head when he looked at her, and led them both away. Led them both to _safety_.

I could breath a little easier now that Raes was gone, and I turned back to the man with fury burning in my eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, louder than I intended, voice laced with as much rage as I felt.

His eyes narrowed as he took in my response before breaking into a smile. "Now is that any way to greet your father?"

I scoffed, the sound angry and hostile. "Don't make me laugh. You're not my father. You were _never_ my father."

"I wanted to see both of my girls," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. "That was very rude of you, sending your sister away like that."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near her," I hissed, fists clenching, nails digging painfully into my palms as my body tensed.

"Silvy?" Sans asked with concern, taking a few steps towards me, eyes scouring my face, likely seeing all the things that roiled beneath my quickly cracking mask.

Toriel was shuffling her feet uncomfortably, clearly not liking what was transpiring but unsure what to say. "Perhaps-" Toriel began, ready to diffuse the situation, voice soothing before she was cut off.

"I would like to speak to my daughter alone," he said, voice low, fake smile plastered on his face as he turned to regard her, attitude arrogant.

"Not happenin'," Sans immediately growled, stepping closer to me, standing between me and _him_ protectively.

His eyes met mine, and I could see the anger beginning to simmer in them, barely controlled, smile wavering threateningly as he regarded me as though I were still that small child. I knew that getting him to leave would not be easy until he had said whatever he came to say, and I didn't want to involve them in this. I _couldn't_ involve them in this.

"It's fine. I'll talk to him," I said, voice monotone as I attempted to swallow my anger, desperately holding together that mask. I couldn't let it slip. _I can't._

"Silvy," Sans began to protest, turning to see my scarily blank expression, his own expression conflicted between concern for me and anger towards the man who was causing this turmoil in me.

"I said it's fine," I repeated, meeting his eyes. "This is between the two of us."

Sans eyes were burning, expression twisting as he turned to angrily glare at the man who was causing my distress. But he didn't want to get involved in something personal, not against my will. Not unless he _had_ to.

"Perhaps we should leave them alone for a minute," Toriel suggested, already moving around the couch towards us. Sans nodded slowly, threatening glare not leaving the man standing so innocently in our home, acting as though there wasn't a single problem with his being here. Sans turned to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, bony fingers soft and warm, eyes filled with concern and caring.

"If you need us, you just call us, alright?" Sans said firmly, eyes imploring me to listen to the request, and I nodded my consent. They both exited the room, with one last concerned look to me, leaving me alone with _him_.

His deceptive smile didn't fade, and it was sickly sweet as he gazed at me with possessive anger.

He was clearly not expecting me to be as I was.

"I come to see my beautiful girls, and I find out that you're living with a group of fucking monsters? _Monsters_? That _garbage_? That _filth_? Are you fucking kidding me? I expected better of you."

"You have no right to say shit about it," I growled, anger lighting a flame inside my chest, his ignorant words fueling its burn. I wasn't really surprised to discover he was hateful and racist towards my new family. It was exactly like him. There was always some to hate, always someone to discriminate against. Always someone to torment.

"I have every right. I am your father. And I will not have my children anywhere near _filth_ like that," he said, voice filled with anger and hate as he stepped around the couch towards me, hands clenching against the air as though he were barely containing himself from grasping something else.

I could tell from the way he held himself he was expecting me to shy away from him, expecting me to be afraid. Expecting me to _still_ be afraid.

"I am not some frightened child for you to control," I hissed, holding myself tall, refusing to back down from him. "And those _filth_ have been a better family for us than you have ever been."

"Now, now, Vy, you don't want to go and make me angry."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his ever-present arrogant attitude. "You act as though you are entitled to us. Like we're _property_ for you to do with as you please. Well we aren't."

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE!" he yelled, hands curling into fists as he leaned forward threateningly, veins in his neck straining against his skin. He quickly leaned back, taking a deep breath as he composed himself, clearly displeased that I hadn't even flinched back from him, nor given him any other reaction. "You are my children and you will do as I say. You two are coming back home with me."

"Not happening. Never happening. I want you out of my house and away from my sister. Away from my family."

He took another step closer to me, wringing his hands. "Vy, I'm not going to say it again."

"Neither am I," I growled.

I wasn't expecting him to do anything, not in this house, surrounded by monsters who would protect me. But he had never been good at controlling his anger. Which is why it caught me by surprise when he suddenly lashed out, the back of his fist connecting solidly with my jaw as he pushed me back against the wall, pinning my arms behind my back simultaneously. My head hit the wall hard, leaving me disoriented as he pushed his bulking frame against me.

"I am your father and you will show me some respect." He twisted my arms painfully as he spoke threateningly in my ear. "But I guess that's a lesson I'm going to have to teach you again, isn't it?"

His breath was just as rancid as it always was, making my stomach turn nauseously and bile rise in my throat as he stuck his greasy face against mine, his calloused fingers scratching against my skin from his rough grip.

Panic washed through my muscles, freezing me in place as that darkness whispered in my head again, memories flashing behind my eyes, **all the blood, all the pain, all the muffled desperate cries and dismissive grunts** , making my body tremble, leaving me useless.

"You take your filthy fuckin' hands off her."

Blue flashed in my vision, pulling me out of my head and into the moment as those hands disappeared and I heard a thud, followed by a curse. And suddenly Sans was by my side, arms wrapping around my middle, catching me as I almost collapsed, pulling me close to rib cage as he held me up with one arm, the other extended threateningly towards the man.

I turned, seeing my step-father leaning against the back of the couch he had been slammed into.

He looked up, anger seething in his eyes, but quickly recoiled in fear as he caught sight of the monster by my side.

I realized Sans still had his arm wrapped protectively around me, myself tucked snugly against his frame as his skull flamed with swirling blue and gold magic, flames licking up the ridges of his bony fingers as he attempted to control his anger. A quickly losing battle, I could see.

I couldn't let myself be weak, couldn't let myself be _seen_ as weak, and I quickly composed myself, pulling out of Sans' tight grip, one he very reluctantly released me from, too distracted by watching the man to keep a tight hold on me.

I took a step closer to the man cowering on the floor, his eyes flashing to me, filled with anger and hate. Sans wrapped an arm around my waist, stopping me in my tracks. When I turned to look at him I saw the protective anger on his face. He had no intention of letting me anywhere near him.

I unwrapped his arm once again, with one firm look to Sans, but didn't go near my step-father again, simply turning to glare down at him as I pulled my shoulders back. He could not see me as weak, as simply being protected by them. He had to understand that I could protect myself. That I was not afraid of him.

"Get out of my house," I hissed quietly, pleased when he flinched back from the seething anger in my voice.

Sans released his magic, after a few moments of protest, and he clamored to his feet. Sans pulled me aside as he stumbled past us and out of the door, putting himself between the two of us, shielding me with his much larger frame.

Sans led me to the couches, pushing against the cushions gently. "Stay," he ordered, his demeanor leaving no room for argument. He quickly left the room to ensure that _he_ left as he was supposed to.

I settled back into the cushions, suddenly too exhausted to do much else.

_He'll be back. This isn't over. It won't ever be over. He'll never let you go._

I shook my head, trying to dispel the darkness that wrapped sticky tendrils around my rational thought, blocking it out.

_You belong to him now. You always will, after what you did._

My hands clenched on the cushion of the sofa, almost tearing holes in the fabric. I willed the thoughts away just in time.

Sans came back into the room, expression concerned as he looked for me, obviously not fully expecting me to have listened to him.

He rushed over, sitting down beside me, voice soothing as he spoke to me. But I couldn't hear him. I couldn't hear him over the ringing in my ears or the whispers in my head. I could feel his concern for me wavering in the air but I couldn't fathom the strength to look up at him, couldn't fathom the strength to reassure him that I was okay. Because I wasn't okay and I knew it. And I didn't have the strength to pretend I was.

I felt his hands on mine, prying my fingers from their tight grip, twining his bony ones through mine, not even wincing as my fingers gripping painfully tightly to his. His thumbs rubbing soothing circles on the backs of my hands as he continued to speak what was likely soothing words, attempting to lull me away from the darkness that encroached.

His face was close, his voice quiet and reassuring, but it didn't reach me through the void quickly forming around me. Strength felt more out of my reach than it ever had, leaving me feeling just as **_weak_** and _**helpless**_ and _**pathetic**_ as I had been back then, just as weak to the will of the darkness as I had been to _his_ will.

But I wasn't _allowed_ to be weak. I felt my sister enter the room, looking concerned as she searched for me, Undyne close on her heels, looking ready to drag her away if she needed to.

I _couldn't_ be weak. Not now.

So I pooled what strength I could muster, strength I didn't even know I possessed, and raised my head to smile at her reassuringly, the ringing in my ears disappearing as I grounded myself.

Sans had gone quiet, eyes flicking to my sister as she entered the room, passing between the two of us with equal parts concern and confusion.

"We saw him leave, I thought it might be okay-" Undyne began to explain.

"It's okay," I said softly, reassuringly, as I pulled my hands from Sans' and stood, turning to my sister who watched me with confusion.

"Why didn't you let me see him?" she asked, tone affronted.

I steeled myself for the conversation to come, pushing away my creeping anxiety, letting myself fall into that numbness, putting on that mask, melding this mask that would tell them that I was okay. So they couldn't see how broken I was inside even as I smiled.

"Because you didn't need to see him. He's leaving and he's not coming back."

"Why?" she asked, anger creeping into her voice.

"Because he has no place in our lives. Not anymore."

"Look, I know you two got into a fight when we were young, but really, isn't it about time you two talk it through and forgive-"

"That man does not deserve my forgiveness," I said, voice low, leaving no room for debate. She didn't understand. She could _never_ understand.

"What did he do that was so bad?" she asked quietly, so innocently.

All I had told her as kids was that we had fought. That it had been bad. And I had gotten us away. She had trusted me, her older sister, to take care of her. To do what was best for the both of us. I asked her to not ask questions. Ever. And she had respected that wish. Until now.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you trust me. I know what is best for us," I explained, taking my authoritative tone.

Rae sighed heavily but nodded, looking dejected that she still didn't have her answers, but I know she must have seen it in my eyes. That no matter how much she wanted to know I wouldn't speak of it. I know she wasn't happy with my continued silence, but she respected my boundaries enough not to pry. And she trusted me enough to listen.

Rae nodded and went back to the door. "Well, we've got dinner to get started and Frisk will be home from school soon so. . . If you want to join us we'll be in the kitchen." And she left with one last disappointed glance to me. And it ate at my heart. Ate at me from the inside that I had to lie to her. But she couldn't know. She wouldn't understand. She wouldn't understand everything I had done for her.

Undyne lingered in the doorway, looking conflicted, obviously wanting to ask questions or comfort me. Sans walked over to her, whispering something to her and she nodded and left to join Rae.

Sans turned back to me, concern back in place, but I couldn't meet his eyes. I could feel it, I could feel that darkness creeping up to the surface once again, ink staining the pure water of my consciousness, as I knew it would. And he couldn't see it. I wouldn't let him see it. I couldn't burden him, nor could I divulge my secrets. My shameful, _horrible_ secrets. I would lose him if I did. So I opted for silence as I turned to leave the room.

Sans looked hurt that I was leaving without even giving him a second glance, and stopped me with an arm around my middle as I tried to push my way past him.

"Silvy," he said quietly, voice as soothing as possible.

I swallowed my anxiety. "Sans, I need to be alone right now," I whispered, forcing the words out through my quickly constricting throat.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Silvy. I think I should stay with you."

"Sans," I sighed, not wanting to hurt him by refusing his offer but I knew I wouldn't be able to hold myself together for long. And he couldn't see me like that. Not again.

"You don't have to talk. You don't have to explain anythin' and I'm not gonna ask. You can tell me when you're ready. But I don't want to leave you alone right now," his words were insistent, his voice filled with concern.

"I can't. Not right now. Please, I need to be alone. You don't have to worry. I won't do anything to myself. Not this time. But please. Please. I can't. I can't," I whispered, voice breaking, though just as insistent, unable to meet his eyes and see the caring on his face. I wouldn't be able to hold onto to what strength I had otherwise. And I couldn't afford to be weak now.

I gently pried myself from his grip, rushing down the hallway and away from him, away from anyone, disappearing upstairs and locking my bedroom door. I knew that lock would be pointless against the person most likely to follow me, but I hoped that it would at least deter him.

I walked far enough to collapse against the end of my bed as my legs gave way, falling onto the carpet and leaning against the frame as I curled myself into a little ball, hugging my knees to my chest as I attempted to contain my shaking. I could tell my nails were digging painfully into the soft flesh of my arms as I hugged my legs tight but I couldn't feel the pain I knew was there, just the slight pressure where my fingers were.

_He'll be back soon enough. It isn't going to be so simple as him just leaving. You won't be that lucky._

_Shut up._

_You belong to him. You've always belonged to him. He knows it and he won't let you go._

_Just shut up!_

_You won't be able to protect her. Not forever. Soon enough he'll get his hands on her, too, and you won't be able to keep her safe._

_He won't get anywhere near her. I'll kill him first._

_Ha! As if you could. You could have easily fought him off today, but you didn't. You are still **weak** , still so **pathetic**. Just like you always have been. And he will always use that against you. _ _You will always be a prisoner to his **every whim.**_

_Enough! Enough! Enough!_

I could feel my pulse pounding rapidly through my veins, I could feel it in my tightly clenched fingers and through my trembling muscles. I could feel my rough pulls of air making my throat raw and the pressure in my head building, pushing against the inside of my skull with painful, soul shattering weight. I almost thought my skull would crack and splinter apart from the agony, spilling that darkness that pooled in my mind into the reality around it, tainting it.

It was taking all my strength to try to keep myself from drowning in that darkness, to keep myself grounded against its heavy pull against my muscles, its thick tendrils wrapping around my consciousness, attempting to pull me into that endless pool of hate and pain and haunting memory.

**Night finally fell, my little sister fast asleep, her deep, even breath's filling the small space we slept in, her mouth hanging open as drool pooled on the pillow.**

**The sight filled me with an affectionate protectiveness. She was so young, so bright and innocent. She had always been innocent. Far more innocent that I had ever been. Far more trusting.**

**She loved me. She trusted me to take care of her. To protect her. She knew she had nothing to fear, and so slept peacefully, not a thing in the world able to draw her out of that heavy blanket of peaceful slumber.**

**A fact I was once again immensely grateful for. For during the night crept all the demons that would taint her innocent world. The demons that tainted mine.**

**I had been able to hide so much. Able to hide all the scars, able to pass off bruises and injuries as mistakes, accidents, too much rowdiness in my youth. And she believed it all so easily.**

**I had always protected her, shielded her from the things she didn't have to see.**

**She was so bright, her innocent light shining so clearly in her sparkling green doe eyes. A sight even _he_ could see. And so he had left her be, as long as I put up with it all. As long as I suffered it all for her, without a word to anyone. And so I did, suffering in silence during the nights, fighting my battles, warding off my demons as best I could as nightmares haunted nearly every night, making sleep either non-existent, or fleeting at best.**

**And _now_. Now he had done what I had thought even him incapable of.**

**And if he could do _this_. . .**

**He was dangerous.**

**Dangerous to her.**

**I couldn't let him taint her light too.**

**Not hers.**

**I had to protect her.**

**However I had to.**

**I remember the feel of the outside air, frigid against my skin as I returned to the house, numb even to its bite.**

**I remember the deafening silence of the house. How heavy it had seemed.**

**I remember the cold, grimy tiles beneath my feet as I slunk, undetected, into the kitchen.**

**I remember the weight of the knife as it settled on the palm of my hand. I remember thinking how dull the blade was. But it was sharp enough.**

**I remember the eerie silence as I padded silently through the dark house.**

**I remember entering that room. Hoping, _praying_ that he would stay asleep.**

**I remember the door swinging silently open.**

**I remember how much darker his room had seemed than the rest of the house. Its darkness tainted by his presence.**

**I remember stepping inside, hoping that he would not hear me.**

**I had almost gotten to his bed, he was _so close._**

**And then he had spoken, voice gruff and harsh, grating against my senses and making me jump.**

**And suddenly, he shifted, turning to see me, eyes settling on me, simply regarding me.**

**No regret. No shame. No guilt.**

**He didn't see the knife and I hid it, while I could.**

**I remember my thoughts racing through my head, desperately searching for a way to do what I had to do.**

**He spoke. His words offering no happy prospects. _But I had no choice._**

**I had to protect her. I knew I couldn't care for her on my own. Not yet. _We still needed him._ Much as I hated to think it, it was true. We were simply too young.**

**And no one could help us. He would hurt her if I tried to save us, exposing all the things we kept hidden, _just between the two of us_. And her innocence would be snuffed out. _I couldn't let it happen._**

_**I had to protect her.** _

_**No matter what.** _

**He promised not to hurt her, not to lay a hand on her. As long as I continued to do _whatever_ he wanted. As long as I kept silent and obedient.**

**And I had no choice. For her sake.**

**I had to do whatever I had to, _to shield her and keep her safe_ , until I could get us _as far from him as possible_. Where she would _truly_ be safe.**

_**I did what I had to do.** _

I don't know how long I knelt there, struggling, balancing on that needle thin precipice between the painful darkness of my mind and the empty numb of my body, but _something_ snapped me out of it.

Finally, I was able to fully pull myself into my body and I could once again feel the carpet beneath my skin and the pain of my muscles screaming in complaint from being in this position for so long.

I could feel it. I could feel that familiar presence against my skin like a thick sludge, raising goosebumps on my arms and making my skin prickle with disgust and nausea.

I raised my head, my thick hair curtaining around my face. I noticed, vaguely, that my room was dark now, but didn't have time to really think about how long I'd been sitting there.

I rose from my position on the floor, stretching my weary muscles as I did so, before quietly padding across the room to my door. The house was quiet and I assumed everyone else had gone to sleep.

I could hear my heart beating, could feel it pumping adrenaline through my veins. Rage pulsed across my skin, anticipation like a razor's edge on my mind.

I opened my door, almost stepping on the plate of food sitting outside my room, long cold now. I stepped over it and into the hallway, quickly and quietly making my way though the sleeping house and outside.

The air was still warm, the slight breeze bringing sweet, summer smells to my senses, but it did nothing to ease my nerves, as it usually did. I could feel my hair lifting around my face in the slight breeze, tickling my skin, but I was barely aware of the sensation. All my senses locked on that one insistent press against my skin, brimming with the sense of danger.

I made my way to the gate, opening it and slipping outside, making sure to close it behind me. _Just in case._ I could take no chances.

As soon as I was out in the open I could feel it, I could feel those eyes on me, making my skin crawl and my stomach knot painfully. I swallowed my unease as I made my way off the road and towards the trees.

Stepping through the underbrush and avoiding the low hanging branches, I made my way towards the presence I could feel, sending pulses of _danger_ , of _warning_ , of _wrongness_ through every inch of myself.

He stepped out of the trees behind me, his steps breaking the twigs beneath his feet, the sound eerily reminding me of the snapping of fragile, frail bones. I turned slowly, anger and defiance setting on my features as he came into my sights again, rage pulsing through my head like a red hot blade, filling my vision with white.

He had that twisted, sickly smile on his lips as his eyes slipped across my body, probing gaze taking in every inch of my being, leaving me feeling somehow exposed, as though he could see much more than just skin deep. As though he could feel my _shame_. My _hate_ and _pain_. My _despair_. And his eyes reveled in it. He knew he was the one who put it all there and it was as though he took _pride_ in it.

"You sure have grown up, haven't you Vy?" he chuckled, the sound sharper than a razor against my skin.

My fists clenched as I attempted to wrangle in my anger, determined not to show any weakness in front of him. I would not give him the satisfaction. Not anymore. Not ever again.

"Who would've thought I'd have ended up raising such beautiful girls." _Raising? Hardly_. I could tell by the possessive lilt to his voice, and the sudden way he eyed me, taking in my appearance once again, what he meant by those words. _His girls. Property. We may as well be slaves for all he see's us as._

"What are you still doing here?" I asked quietly, letting not an ounce of emotion into my voice. I would give him nothing. Nothing for him to arm himself with. Nothing for him to turn against me, as he was wont to do.

His twisted smile only widened, his yellow teeth showing. "You didn't honestly expect me to just leave did you? What, did you think I would be intimidated by a few _big, bad monsters_?" He laughed mockingly, pretending not to have been afraid of one of them just a few hours earlier.

"It sure seemed like you were when you were cowering on the floor," I said quietly, wiping that smile right off his face, quickly replaced with barely contained rage. "Besides, those monsters are the least of your concern now."

He chuckled derisively again, though his smile hadn't returned. "Is that so?" he asked, voice low and threatening.

He eyed me as my body naturally shifted into more of a fighters stance. "I will only ask you once. Leave. While I'm still letting you."

This time he did smile, it twisted the corners of his lips with scorn. "Just who do you think you're talking to?"

"An abusive, racist bastard. An ignorant, _stupid_ fool. A pathetic coward."

I expected the words to trigger his simmering anger, but it didn't. He only smiled at me as his eyes traveled freely over me once again, his body shifting subtly closer to mine, as though he thought I wouldn't notice.

"Tsk, tsk. Now, I know I taught you better than that. Seems like you're due for another lesson."

And he lunged at me, a knife suddenly in hand.

But he didn't know what I could do. What I was capable of.

I quickly dodged his grasping hand, knocking the knife from his fingers with a well placed blow to his wrist, heard it tumbling through the underbrush, lost to him now.

I saw the surprise and fury on his face.

I was ready. I had prepared myself.

Or so I thought.

That darkness struck when I least expected it, slicking through my muscles and my mind with ease, stilling the moves I had been ready to make.

And suddenly his hands were against my body again, the skin of my face stinging as I was shoved roughly against a tree, the rough trunk scraping across my cheek, leaving it raw and open, throbbing.

He pressed his body close, using his size and weight against me. I could feel his putrid breath wafting across the skin of my neck and ear as he pulled my hair back in a rough grip. His hands groped across my skin, squeezing every inch of tender flesh he could reach. His rough hands squeezed at my breasts before slipping down between my legs, slipping quickly beneath the hem of my pants, fingers rough as they pawed at my folds.

And once again, that darkness sucked me in.

**I could feel the dirty mattress underneath my bare back, could feel the weight pressed against the front of my body as he pressed himself close.**

**His voice was soft and low as he cooed in my ear with every agonizingly slow thrust against my tender flesh.**

**His dirty hands caressed every inch of skin, so softly, as though he thought the gesture was loving.**

This time I pulled myself out, forcing the memory away with all the strength I could muster, locking it up in the back of my mind where I wouldn't have to see it, wouldn't have to _feel_ it. Rage boiled the blood in my veins, slicking sweat to my skin, making my muscles tremble in barely contained hate.

But I didn't want to contain it. Not anymore.

His hand was rough on my arms, pulling them behind me painfully as his filthy fingers groped inside me.

I could vaguely hear the sound of his voice as he spoke low and threateningly in my ear.

"You are mine. You have _always_ been mine. Do you really think anyone else will want you knowing how you gave yourself to me? Do you really think anyone will be able to love you? As tained and broken and stained as you are? Hmm? No. They will all see what a _weak, pathetic, disgusting slut_ you are." His words disappeared despite the fact that he continued to speak, and I could no longer hear them. I didn't care to.

My whole body tensed, prepared to act. But it was suddenly unnecessary as his hold on me vanished.

Blue filled my vision at the same moment that an agonized scream accompanied the loud, sick _snap_ of breaking bones.

I turned quickly, too filled with anger to just do nothing, even if the imminent danger was gone.

I saw as I turned that he had hit a tree, hard, body wrapped in a haze of blue as his arm hung limp at his side, the same groping fingers that had penetrated me now bent at all angles, whole arm twisted at an angle that I knew meant it was broken.

I was quick to approach him, before those hands could draw me away again. As I got close, I could see it. See that hate. See that prominent _fear_ more than anything else.

My knee connected solidly with his groin, his face twisting in even more pain, his body unable to crumple inward as it would have due to the blue wrapped dangerously around him.

I turned, eyes searching. It took me less a second to see him.

He stood right beside where I had been a second ago, hand raised threateningly, blue licking up the side of his skull, magic wavering, unstable in the air around me, reminding me of how it had appeared after his nightmare. Barely controlled rage and hate filling that one burning eye.

"Let him go," I ordered.

Sans looked to me with disbelief, obviously not understanding what I wanted. It was as though he thought I wanted _mercy_ for this _monster_.

His eye met mine and he seemed to see it. See all that anger and hate and pain in my eyes. And he released the man, gaze turning to watch him slump forward, tense and prepared to protect me at any moment.

I turned back to _him_ , noticing the momentary flash of defiance on his face as he turned his eyes to me, clearly not seeing the person standing in front of him, still seeing me as he had always seen me. As a fragile, weak child.

An insatiable rage roiled in my soul, and I lashed out, determined to show this _fucker_ that I was not weak. I intended to make him pay for everything he did.

He was stupid enough to try to lash out at me with his good hand when I got close, and I reacted quicker than Sans could, or perhaps he hesitated, letting me handle it as I so desperately wanted to.

His hand came at me with hostile intent, but it didn't even get close. I wrapped my hand around his wrist, stopping the intended blow in its tracks, his face twisting in confusion and surprise.

And suddenly I could see it. How _weak_ he was. How _fragile_. How _breakable_.

I pressed my fingers tighter and felt the small bones of his wrist shatter under my finger tips, his cry of pain muffled by the trees. I twisted, and his arm broke, falling limp to his side as I released it.

He fell back against the tree, sliding the ground as all his strength and boisterousness left him.

He dared to glare up at me, fueling the fires of my hate.

My knee connected solidly with his face, his nose crunching under the blow, blood dripping down his chin. His defiance was beginning to wither as he attempted one last weak glare at me.

I knelt down in front of him, small fingers grabbing roughly at his face, forcing him to meet my eyes, to see all the anger and hate and rage that was inside them, and I was pleased to note the fear that filled his eyes. Because of me.

"You won't kill me," he choked out, blood splattering his lips, though the words sounded desperate. Like a plea.

"Much as I'd like to prove you wrong, I can't. I'd like nothing more than to see the life leave your eyes. To know that you won't ever draw breath again. But, oh, I won't kill you. You aren't worth the potential murder charges. As if anyone would miss you. . . But I can't take that chance. So, here's how this is going to go." He swallowed uncomfortably, truly uneasy with the person he saw in front of him, seeming to see, for the first time, who was _really_ in front of him. "You underestimated me. You underestimated how much I love my family. You underestimate what I will do for them. What I will do for _her_. So, you come anywhere near this home again, anywhere near me or my sister or _any_ of my family and I will personally make sure that when you die, it is painful and slow. And I know how weak you are. You just _love_ dealing out pain, but when it comes to receiving it you are _weak_." His defiance was gone, and I knew by the look in his eyes what he could see in me. "I almost killed you once. And I will do it if I have to. I will _gladly_ do it."I stood, stepping back and glaring disdainfully down at him. "Leave. While I still let you."

He scrambled to his feet as though he couldn't get up fast enough, disappearing through the trees.

Crushing silence enclosed me, interrupted by the occasional crack and pop of Sans' magic.

I felt when he disappeared, that presence leaving me, and it felt as though a weight had been lifted, a heavy burden removed. My soul slowly calming.

Exhaustion slammed into my body, my legs trembling as they threatened to give out beneath me. That anger and hate vanished in the wake of that exhaustion.

My body nearly collapsed before Sans wrapped an arm around me, catching me.

He lowered me to the forest floor, cradling me in his arms as my body began to tremble uncontrollably, whispering words of comfort.

But just as before, I couldn't hear them. They couldn't seem to reach me through the darkness that wrapped around me like a veil, muffling the sounds of the world.

That darkness dragged me under, faster than it ever had, and I was weak to it. My exhaustion leaving me vulnerable. I struggled against it, struggled to pull myself up, to myself out, but I couldn't. I was so heavy, so weak, so tired of fighting it. My willpower was quickly deteriorating and I was letting the darkness wash me away.

Sans seemed to sense that he wasn't reaching me, his magic pressing insistently against my skin, begging for a response, for a reassurance that I was okay. I felt it distantly, and I wished I was strong enough to reach him, but I couldn't.

When I didn't open my eyes to his imploring gaze I felt him sigh, his rib cage rising and falling with the movement, though the feel of my body was slowly disappearing and I barely felt it.

The sudden tingling pressure against my lips snapped me back into the moment, all my senses kicking into overdrive as I suddenly felt it all. Felt his body pressed against mine through the soft material of his hoodie as it caressed against my abused skin. His "lips" were firm and soft against mine, thrumming with the magic that ran through his bones, thrumming with warmth and sending pleasant sparks across my skin.

I could hear the sound of my rapidly beating heart and the softer sounds of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, suddenly loud to my jarred senses.

At first I didn't know how to respond, my whole body freezing as I realized what was happening. And then I felt it. I felt all the emotions behind the kiss, I could feel the intent of his soul through the magic gently caressing my skin, easing my pain and bringing a light so bright with it that it made that darkness disappear.

I felt wrapped in it, wrapped in safety and comfort, more so than I could ever remember feeling. I felt so warm, so loved, so at peace in his arms. As though nothing in the world could reach us.

I melted into his kiss, letting it envelope me, let it wash away that darkness as it did so easily, my hands tightening against his rib cage as I grabbed him with sudden desperation, unable to let go of all the new things I was feeling. All the new things I hadn't even realized I _needed_ to feel so badly. I felt as though my soul would shatter if he let me go, so I held onto him as tightly as I could.

Feeling that I was reciprocating the kiss, he deepened it, and I could feel all his caring behind the soothing press of lips against lips. I could feel his mouth gently leading mine with soft urges, hands tightening around my body as he held me close, as though he needed this as much as I did.

The sudden rushing tingle of magic caressed my skin and the forest around us vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading my story, leaving such kind comments and giving me support. It means the world to me. I hope you continue to enjoy this story, despite the darker parts. <3


	15. A Wonderful Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter is NSFW and has much smut. Beware.   
> Sorry for such a long delay in posting, I've had a computer down that needed an expensive replacement part that I had to save up for and a lot of school and work going on. But here it is. Enjoy :3

I was so enraptured with our kiss it took me a moment to realize the cool outside air had disappeared. Sans had pulled me into his lap and was cradling me close as his lips moved fervently with mine, as though he were desperate to ease my pain.

His hands had wrapped around me, cradling me so softly, as though he were afraid he'd break me, his fingers pressing into the soft skin of my back with a near neediness. A neediness I felt as my hands clutched at his ribs beneath his sweater as though he would disappear at any moment.

I couldn't stand to lose him, not now, not now that I was finally starting to feel all these things I'd been numb to, all these things I'd forced away. I _needed_ him. Needed his touch, needed to feel him alive against me, making _me_ feel alive. Really, _truly_ alive like I'd never felt before.

My tongue slid out, sliding along the smooth ridge of his bottom lip, urging him to do more. _I needed to feel more._

He seemed surprised by my forwardness but his lips parted gladly, his smooth tongue twining with mine. And I could feel it. I could feel that he needed this just as much as I did. I could feel it in the way he held me so tightly, in the way his tongue caressed mine with such tenderness. I could feel it in the magic that softly wrapped around me, sending shivers down my spine as I felt all his emotions through its tingling press against my skin.

He pressed my body closer, tilting my head back as he deepened our kiss, his tongue twining with mine as he tasted me. And his tongue tasted so sweet against my own, sending a craving deep inside me as I let out a low moan.

I clutched him closer as I felt his body shiver, his fingers stroking my sides lovingly as he held me so carefully, as though I were delicate.

After a few moments, he broke off our kiss, leaning back to look at me. The lights in his sockets were bright and warm and gentle, filled with so much affection and caring that it made my heart ache, made my soul pulse in response. I suddenly felt, with such shocking clarity how much I needed him. It made me ache, an ache that only he could soothe. But I could also see his hesitance, as though he were afraid of pushing too far too quickly.

"Silvy," he breathed, my name escaping him like a prayer, as though he simply needed to hear the sound of it. Hearing my name on his lips, hearing it said in his deep, rough tones made my body flush.

It was as though all the emotions I'd been keeping in check, all the things I'd been refusing to allow myself to feel were cascading over me as though I were feeling them all now, from every moment he looked at me that way or said my name with so much _want._

"Silvy, I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now, after all of that. . ." he hesitated, seeming to pick his words carefully and I was suddenly reminded of the events that had led to our kiss, and shocked that I had somehow forgotten already, _that he had made me forget_ with nothing more than a kiss. I could only imagine how much everything else must make me feel, how much more I could forget in his embrace, and I was desperate to find out. To finally have release from the darkness, bliss in place of demons, even if only for a short time.

"Silvy, I know you might not want to talk about it, but I am here. Here to listen. Talking about it might help. I want to help," his words seemed desperate, filled with sincerity and concern.

But I was shaking my head even before he finished speaking. "I don't want to talk about it. I want to forget." I paused as I gathered my words, my soul pulsing apprehensively, in fear that he might reject me, that this was all just to comfort me. But I pushed on regardless. "Nothing has ever made me feel so. . . so. . . healed before. I've never felt so free from all that darkness. You took it away with only a kiss. I've never felt so alive as I did in that moment. I need you, I need to feel more. _I need to forget_."

My words stumbled to a halt as I worried I might have said too much, worried he might still push me away, tell me it hadn't meant what it felt like it did to me. So afraid. . .

"Silvy," he said softly, pulling me out of my distressed thoughts with ease. "I've been alive for a long time, and no one, I mean _no one_ has ever made me feel the things I do for you. I can only imagine how much pain you've been through, but if I can help, if I can make you happy. . . Silvy I'd do anything."

Relief washed through me and I leaned forward eager to kiss him again, eager for that release from the rest of the world. But he stopped me, hands gently cupping my face between his fingers as he held me still and my hopes immediately withered, irrational fear creeping at the edges.

"But Silvy, I don't want you to do anything you're not ready to. I don't want you to rush into something you're not ready for because of all this. You must still be emotional and I don't want those emotions making decisions for you. And I wouldn't want to take advantage of you if you're not thinking clearly. If you're not sure."

I stopped him, putting my hand over his mouth as he looked at me worriedly, realizing what it was he was afraid of. He needn't be. He needed to know that.

"Sans, do you want this? Do you want me?" I asked quietly, the words barely above a whisper.

"More than I've ever wanted anything in my life," he murmured, voice heated. And I could see it, see the things my doubts and fears and demons had been hiding from my sight. I could see how much he cared for me, see how much he wanted me, I could see it burning in his sockets and I could feel it in the magic that tingled against my skin. It was a need almost as desperate as my own. I'd never felt more passion than that emanated from him. It was a passion I wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in.

"Then just kiss me, please. I need you, I need _this_. Please, Sans," my words were filled with as much need as I felt, and he heard that, leaning forward to press his lips against mine once again, cutting off my words.

I returned the kiss with fervor, light moans escaping me with every spark of magic across my lips, sparks trailing along my skin when his fingers hesitantly slid beneath my shirt to caress my sides. I felt his magic rush through me with familiar, tingling strength as it healed all my lingering bruises and scrapes, leaving my skin sensitive to his touch.

My very soul seemed to be pulsing with all my desire, all my need, and I wondered if perhaps he could feel its yearn for him as his magic danced across my skin, healing all my pain. The simple healing part of his magic healed the injuries to my body while the emotions I felt rushing through myself from his magic and his intentions seemed to heal me from the inside, covering my soul like a bandage- muffling the sting of pain while at the same time chasing away the numb the darkness brought with it.

His smooth fingers gently trailed up along my ribs, tickling my skin as his thumbs brushed against the skin beneath my breasts. I could feel him asking permission every step of the way and it warmed my heart seeing how considerate he was. Deciding to make the first step for him, I lifted the hem of my shirt, breaking apart from our kiss to slide it off and let it fall to the floor, forgotten as his hands explored more freely with the garment removed.

His hands slid up my back, feeling my spine beneath his fingers, running along my shoulder blades before resting over the clasp of my bra, pausing. I squeezed his arms reassuringly and he deftly undid the clasp, tossing it aside just as I had my shirt.

I felt a moment of unsurety as his eyes settled on me, fearing that I would disappoint him, that I wouldn't be enough. I leaned forward, kissing him again as I attempted to push away that fear. He accepted it gratefully, his hands softly trailing upwards, sliding teasingly below my breasts before softly running along them, tracing their shape, softly pressing against my flesh as though he were testing the fragility of my skin.

I leaned back from our kiss to give him a reassuring smile. "Sans, I'm not made of porcelain. You don't need to worry about hurting me."

His body relaxed a bit, some of his tension leaving him as he leaned forward to kiss me again, his hands squeezing me more firmly, the tips of his thumbs brushing over my already hardened nipples, making both of us shiver. Too soon though his hands slid away from my breasts, wrapping around my sides instead. I was disappointed for only a moment before he lifted me in his arms and stood, walking us both to the bed.

He lay me gently down on its soft surface, pressing his body flush against mine, his arms steadied himself on either side of me, keeping him from putting all his weight on me as he passionately kissed me. After a few moments of being locked in that embrace, he leaned back, lifting himself on his knees to gaze down at me. His hands brushed against the sides of my breasts, trailing down my sides, gently squeezing my hips, his thumbs brushing over my exposed hip bones, falling into the dip of my skin and following it beneath the hem of my pants, the teasing touch sending a flash of desire aching up my stomach.

I could see him slowly gaining confidence, becoming more assured that his touch was wanted. But he still hesitated when his hands settled over the button of my jeans, his eyes asking for permission. I wiggled my hips encouragingly, biting my lip nervously as he smiled and undid the button, slowly easing my jeans and underwear down my legs.

Again, that little irrational fear of uncertainly and self-consciousness reared its head, and I felt suddenly uneasy being in my own skin, feeling low in comparison to what I was sure he expected.

When he had finally peeled the last of my clothes from my body he leaned back to look down at me, my body only visible from the moonlight that shined through the windows.

He seemed to sense my unease and spoke my name gently, drawing my gaze to his. The fevered look in his eyes melted away my fear and unease. His eyes were filled with wonder and desire, both heated and gentle at the same time. He looked at me as though I were the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Gods, Silvy, I can't even express how you make me feel. There just aren't words," he fumbled to a stop, indeed out of words.

"Then show me," I prompted gently, tugging on his hoodie to bring him closer.

He let out a shaky breath as he leaned close, his eyes burning as they regarded me. "I can do that," he said, the words practically a growl as he leaned forward to do just that.

As he kissed me I became distinctly aware of how much more clothed he was than me and moved to rectify the situation. My hands pulled at his hoodie, attempting to pull it off his shoulders. He chuckled as he felt me struggling, leaning back to pull it off. My hands were already pulling at the hem of his shirt before he even had his jacket fully off. He helped me pull that off as well before pushing me back against the sheets.

His bones were a pristine white in the moonlight, looking smooth as silk and my hands itched to touch them, to pull them against me and feel them on my flushed skin.

I was growing impatient, the insistent ache between my legs driving me forward. I spread my legs open for him, wiggling my hips suggestively. I knew he could see just how wet I was, how much my body wanted his. The look that came to his face as he looked down at me, exposed and needy beneath him, could best be described as animalistic.

His left eye flickered to life with blue flame, illuminating the room with a new glow. The magic emanating from him quickly filled the room, tingling against my skin, different from how his healing magic felt. Much different, and it made my blood boil, sent fire through my veins.

His magic sparked across his bones, flowing down his spine to coalesce into a bulging blue glow beneath the hem of his shorts. The same bulge I was no doubt I'd felt that morning I'd woken up with him.

Desire flared through me so strongly it stole my breath, making every second drag by. I eagerly spread my legs as he moved closer, allowing me to wrap them around his own legs. I was surprised by how smooth and cool the bones of his legs were against my skin, and even more surprised at how strongly I felt his magic pulsing through him, rapidly, like a racing heart beat.

Before I could lean forward to tug at the waistband of his shorts, they simply disappeared, and I felt a moment of amusement at the thought of him being too stricken with desire (and too lazy) to simply remove them by normal means.

That amusement was quickly forgotten as I saw him for the first time. His arousal was much larger than it had simply felt pressed against the backs of my legs, and glowed with the same blue light as the flames in his socket- the color of his magic. Though the magically formed erection was just a solid as flesh, I could see the magic flowing and swirling beneath the surface. The sight of him only made me want him more, though that hadn't seemed possible just a moment ago.

Desire and lust pounded through me with more force than I had ever felt it, it was more than just a want, it was a _need_ , just as the air in my lungs or the blood pumping rapidly through my veins was needed. I felt my need for him as distinctly as a drowning man who's lungs burned for air. So when he finally leaned over me I spread my legs eagerly, allowing him to press himself closer.

He seemed for a split moment to hesitate, his jaw parting as though he felt the need to speak, or ask permission, but before he could I wrapped my hands around his ribs and pulled him closer, sealing his words with a kiss. I couldn't wait any longer, and there was no need for words in this moment.

My desire seemed to overtake him and he allowed himself to relax against me, his whole body shuddering from the feel of my hands tight around his sensitive bones. He pulled my hands away so he could press his body right against mine, the desire to be pressed close overwhelming his want for me to touch him. His ribs pressed flush against my skin, my breasts pressed against his smooth bones. I trembled at feeling his ribs pressing and brushing against my hardened nipples, every pulse of magic through his bones sent shocks of pleasure through my sensitive skin, making me shake with desire.

I lifted my legs, resting them over his hip bones attempting to pull him close as he seemed to be deliberately keeping his pelvis distanced, though still close enough that I could feel the distinct magic from his manifested lust.

The feel of his tongue dancing and twining with mine and the magic sparking across my skin for where our bodies connected was almost enough to distract me from that little distance. But not enough. I let out a groan of impatience as I broke off our kiss long enough to let out a few desperate words.

"Sans, please, I need you. I can't wait any longer. _Please_." My breathless words were cut off as his lips claimed mine again, though his body shifted to comply with my plea. I felt the tip of his length press against my dripping folds, sliding between my lips, letting his whole length slide up towards my clit, covering himself in my juices. The friction was glorious but not enough. It only ignited the fire in my belly even more. My hips pressed upwards, seemingly of their own accord, as my body tried to get him closer to my entrance.

Just as he slid back, lining himself up he pulled back from our kiss, pulling my bottom lip between his before leaning back to look down at me.

"Sans," I began to speak, having my words cut off by my breathless moan as he slid the tip of his length inside me, his eyes drinking in every expression. I was mildly surprised by how easily he slid inside, considering his size. I felt my entrance stretch beyond anything it was used to, but it wasn't painful. Quite the opposite.

His whole body trembled against me as he felt me, and a low rumble beginning in his chest, shaking the still air and raising the hairs on my arms as my belly clenched with arousal at hearing the almost bestial sound. After a moment of simply enjoying the feel of me, he pressed slowly closer, allowing himself to slide deeper inside me. Every delicious second of him stretching me wrapped my brain in a haze of pleasure. I was coherent enough that I expected him to pull up short or something to suddenly start to hurt as he went deeper and deeper. It wasn't until his pelvis bone was pressed firmly against me that I realized he managed to fit his entire length inside me without trouble, and was quite impressed at my body for being able to handle it.

More than handle it of course, he felt more amazing than anything I had ever felt before, and I could feel him so far inside me, filling me in a way I had never felt filled before, igniting pleasure inside me I didn't even know I could feel. As he settled inside me it felt like I was taking the first breath of my life, as though I'd been starved of something essential and his presence was finally giving me relief from that hunger and raw _need._

As he pulled back, thrusting himself back inside me slowly, I felt that he was restraining himself, his bones trembling with the effort of being gentle. His magic wrapped around me, filling me with his need as well as my own. His slow thrusts felt amazing, but left me wanting more.

As his body moved gently with my own, his breath washed against my ear and I heard a low groan escape him, bringing memories unbidden into my mind. I shoved them down, focusing on the moment as much as I could.

" _Sans_ ," I gasped between my moans, my tone imploring. " _Please_. I'm not going to break. I can handle you. I want you to take me. Really take me."

He pressed himself as close as he could and I gasped as I felt him hit deep inside me. "If I hurt you, tell me, alright sweetheart?" I quickly nodded my consent. "Well then you better hold onto me," he growled quietly. I was quick to wrap my arms around him, letting my fingers wind through his ribs as he pulled himself back. I felt a moment of nervous anticipation before he thrust himself back inside me with force. A strangled cry of ecstasy escaped me as pleasure washed through me , my legs tightening around his hips like a vice as my toes curled and my nails scratched against his bones.

With each pounding thrust pleasure burst through my body like tidal waves, but I felt far from drowning in it. It was like I was floating in a sea of bliss, and there was no room for pain through it.

After a few minutes of rough thrusting he paused, pulling back and wrapping his arms under my back to cradle me, his bony fingers twining through my hair as he held me. He shifted the way his body was positioned against mine and then slowly pressed back inside me, easing in at an agonizingly slow pace as his face was filled with concentration. I felt why a moment later when he pressed against that sweet spot inside me, my pleasure only intensifying. My walls spasmed, tightening around him involuntarily. I could no longer form a coherent thought. His voice distantly reached me through that haze of pleasure. "There it is," he rumbled, his voice shaking me.

He pulled back and thrust inside me roughly, stars bursting behind my eyes and pleasure rocking through every inch of me. I was distantly aware that I was screaming in pleasure, his name continuously escaping me through my other cries. A white, hot ball of tension was forming in my core with every intense thrust, demanding release.

It didn't take long for that damn to break and the first orgasm of my life to come crashing through my being. Words couldn't even describe how amazing that release felt. His thrusts slowed, his body moving in sync with mine as he eased my body through its orgasm.

After a few moments the high finally began to dissipate, slowly, but enough that I was beginning to be able to think again. Sans kissed me passionately as he pulled out of me, his hands untangling from hair and his arms sliding away, his hands instead resting on my hips and sliding along my thighs where they were still wrapped around him, softly squeezing my flesh beneath his fingers.

He pulled back from our kiss, and I noticed the rumble in his chest hadn't completely disappeared. He slid out from between my legs and then grabbed my waist, lifting my body and flipping me over. He had no trouble moving my smaller form exactly where he wanted it as he lifted my hips, holding me up with his hands because my trembling knees couldn't currently handle my weight.

"Sans?" I gasped quietly.

"What? Did you think I was done, sweetheart?" he chuckled, the desire-filled sound reigniting that fire in my core. "Nah, I think you can handle a little more than that." He pushed my legs apart with his knees, positioning himself between them, this time from behind me. He lifted my body so it was lined up with his own then pressed back inside me with ease. I could feel my own juices dripping down my thighs, dribbling onto the sheets.

As he thrust roughly inside me I let out another inadvertent scream of pleasure, and quickly grabbed the pillow beneath me, biting into the material to stifle my sounds as he continued to pound into me. I felt a flush of embarrassment as I worried someone might have heard me. Another moment later and another thought occurred to me. _Oh gods how loud was I being before?_

The pillow I clutched to myself was quickly pulled away and tossed aside by Sans. "You're thinkin' too much sweetheart. I can't have that." He lifted my hips, readjusting his position before thrusting back inside me, this time hitting that sweet spot again, silencing any further thoughts of embarrassment as I was clouded in ecstasy. I was only distantly aware now that I was once again screaming in unrestrained pleasure, and too far gone to care any longer. "That's right baby, scream for me."

I felt his hands kneading my skin, sliding around to grip at the flesh of my ass, the feel of his hands under my hips replaced with the tingle of his magic as he held me up that way instead. His hands ran down the backs of my thighs then around to the front and back up. One hand continued its path up my stomach to my breasts, where he began to roll one of my hardened nipples between his smooth bone fingers, sparks trailing across my skin from the contact. His other hand cupped between my legs, spreading my lips until he felt my swollen clit, beginning to rub circles around it. The signals of pleasure coming from every aroused part of my body had me teetering on the edge of another orgasm and he felt this, his rough thrusts picking up their pace.

"Come on, baby, cum for me. _It felt so good._ I know it did. Be a good girl and cum. _Cum for me._ " His rasping, rumbling voice, in addition to all the other building pleasures, was enough to tip me over the edge for the second time, this orgasm even more powerful than the last. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed through me once again, seeming so much more acute to my already sensitive nerves. This time my spasming walls tipped him over the edge as well and I felt his cock twitching as he came inside me. I felt his cum mix with juices as it overflowed, leaving a path down my thighs.

After a few more slow, lingering thrusts, he pulled out of me, the rest of our juices spilling out of me. He allowed my body to ease back onto the sheets, his magic ushering me to the side where the bed sheets were still clean and dry. As his magic released me my whole body slumped into the mattress, completely drained, my muscles still trembling and clenching in the aftershocks.

He plopped down beside me, letting out a satisfied sigh. He pulled me into his arms, laying a pillow on his chest so I had something comfortable to rest my head on as he held me close to him. One hand started to run comfortingly through my hair while the other reached over and rubbed soothing circles on my back. I could feel myself beginning to drift into unconsciousness, the heavy pull of darkness irresistible. Its promise of peaceful bliss from the world wrapped around me like a soft shroud.

Sans gentle voice reached through my ever darkening veil. "I love you Silvy."

As I was pulled under that heavy blanket of sleep, wrapped in Sans' comforting embrace, I knew it would be the most peaceful sleep of my life. For the first time, free of demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be continuing to write and post as often as possible, so there will not be as long as a delay before the next chapter. But unfortunately there still won't be a set posting schedule, just whenever I have the time to write and post. Thank you for being patient and continuing to read the story after such a long delay <3

**Author's Note:**

> Yes main character is a badass, I like badass characters more than damsels in distress. Character will continue to be a takes no shit, badass character. Hope you enjoy it.


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